


Ruler of the Underworld

by KalonThorn



Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Adorable Monkey D. Luffy, Angst, Angsty Trafalgar D. Water Law, Badass Monkey D. Luffy, Character Death, Criminal Masterminds, Different Devil Fruit Monkey D. Luffy, Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante Lives, Gen, Monkey D. Luffy Loves His Friends, Revenge, Self-Harm, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Underworld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:14:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KalonThorn/pseuds/KalonThorn
Summary: They are a group of individuals that lost everything. In their midst, they have the most wanted man on the planet. Honestly? How could someone claim that he planned out Whitebeard's death, assasination of Nefertari Kobra and that he is Blackbeard's boss? They wanted the big bad underworld mastermind? Then he is going to give it to them.
Comments: 31
Kudos: 36





	1. Killed by the world

***Grrr**

Mauve lightning brightened the sky as sonorous thunder rumbled together with low growl.

An ominous silhouette appeared from the misty gloom.

***RAAWRRR**

Fear. 

That's what was on everyone's mind.

An earsplitting roar cut through the sky as a serpent-like body of a dragon emerged from the dark clouds. Although he was bleeding and weary, it was still one hundred years too early for those pathetic rookies to think of bringing him down with only a few thousand soldiers and one obnoxious nonstop-screaming brat. The endless azure above was now burning in golden colours as if heavens itself were set aflame with his hot breath.

Kaido menacingly loomed over the bloodied battlefield with his sharp fangs glistening in moonlight as he observed the foolish prey. When he accepted Strawhat's challenge, he expected at least a somewhat exciting battle. But this was a huge disappointment. He defeated the brat in no less than a few minutes. Well, at least he lasted longer than last time.

Even that pink witch Linlin was long gone. Her beat-up, half-dead children took her away after phoenix wounded her head. They escaped smoothly through the mirror without throwing a single hit at anyone, evidently not wanting to engage in the bloodbath anymore.

How unexpected of them.

They ran away.

What a cowards.

Well, whatever.

"Worororo!"

To hell with those damn sweet snack-bastards

The fools were dealt with, well, at least for now.

He has grown tired of watching the meaningless fight and decided to abandon it.

Kaido ordered his most trusted subordinates to prepare for a voyage. He needed to hurry up. After all, Poseidon was waiting for him ten thousand meters below the sea surface. He won't let anyone else have it.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The war raged on. The bodies of fallen were stacking up, and the blood-soaked ground was becoming too slippery to fight on.

Chaos erupted when white beasts went out of control, slaying enemies and allies alike. They became nothing more but feral unthinking animals driven only by their instincts.

The best weapon alliance had turned on them.

Minks kept on mercilessly killing.

The war cries slowly quieted down. People ran and fought for their lives. One after another fell. Only agonizing shrieks and the repulsive metallic smell of death persisted.

Strawhats were left alone with only a few clear-headed allies standing.

They needed to escape. However with the beasts in the way, their captain beaten to a bloody pulp and everyone heavily injured, they were going to have a hard time to do so.

A woman stepped forward. She wasn't extremely strong or brave, but she knew that she was the only one that could stop the minks from butchering them all.

"Catch!"

she yelled, flicking one shiny beri towards the boy in ragged cardigan.

"There! You own me now! You have to give it back later, together with ten more, captain~!"

She gave him a big bright smile, but only fear resided in her wide brown eyes.

Was she afraid?

Yeah, downright scared shittless.

Did it matter right now and then?

Of course not. Her friends were in danger! How could she just be still and do nothing?!

She wasn't just some wimp anymore.

The girl standing there was a proud navigator of the strawhat pirates!

She knew the risk it entailed. Despite it, she mustered up her courage and ran off, heading for the roof.

Before anyone could process what was happening and stop her, she was already in the middle of a battlefield, dodging deadly slashes coming from all sides.

Luffy twitched.

The urgent desire to throw his powerless body into action, run and grab her by the shoulders and scream into her face was overwhelming. He could only extend his broken hand in her direction and stare in despair as she ran to the cold embrace of death.

"Nami…Nami…" Luffy mumbled through the dull pain of his bruised cheek.

The navigator managed to climb up to the roof. She steadied her trembling legs and swung her clima tact, summoning a massive amount of fluffy clouds. The cloudy vortex rose to the sky and successfully obscured the full moon.

She did it!

Now minks could transform back.

Wow, .. she actually did it!

She was able to protect them. Her friends are safe.

Her face split into a victorious smile and sent the crew thumbs up. They returned her relieved grins.

"Nami-swaaan! You're the best!" Sanji called out passionately.

"Tsk. Oi, Ero-cook! Tone down your perviness. It hurts to look at you."

"Huuh~?! Marrrimo, are you sure the pain's not from those serious wounds you got thanks to you're incompetence in fight?"

"Don't you provoke me. I can still move to slice you apart in a mere second." Zoro snarled while leaning on his katanas.

"What a shitty joke, from even more shitty Marimo." Sanji said and puffed out smoke.

"Who're you calling Marimo, Nosebleed-prince?!"

"A Nosebleed-prince?! Now you've done it!"

"What? You prefer a princess instead?" Zoro taunted and unsheated Wado ichimonji.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY SUFFERING IN THAT HELL! And you-you call me a pri-princ-uuugh, eat my foot, dickhead!"

Nami giggled at their anticts...

...as her arm was suddenly ripped off by strong jaws of a lion.

.

.

.

.

.

An unearthly scream tore through her throat as she was ripped apart by bloodthirsty animals. The crew could only watch in horror.

Swordsman reached out to his captain.

Minks started to change back. However, they used their Sulong forms for too long. Therefore most of them dropped to the ground already dead and the rest heavily injured.

Luffy struggled his way out of Zoro's hold as his heartbreaking scream resonated across the battlefield.

"NAMIIIIII!"

Sanji and Usopp dropped on their knees in disbelief. Chopper started bawling his eyes out, yelling Nami's name and clinging onto Zoro's leg. Robin didn't even try to suppres her pained cries as she threw herself into cyborg's arms. Franky hugged her and cried together with her. Brook just stood there, shocked and unable to move. He started to remember the first time someone dear died in front of him. Bitter tears fell from his hollow sockets.

'No, not again. Please. I don't want to lose anyone else anymore.'

Zoro had to restrain his captain, who was still screaming. He himself was pretty out of it. He almost let him go.

"Zehahaha! I guess you aren't in a mood for a fight right now, eh? Strawhat?"

Their attention caught a certain pirate sitting on a pile of dead bodies.

He had a Kaido's head in his hand.

After the Shock wore off, the crew answered to his taunting with silent glares that were brimming with hate.

"Ah, not that I blame ya! This devil fruit sure is a scary one." Blackbeard admitted as his right hand transformed into dragon claw and crushed Kaido's skull "I too wouldn't want to fight the dragon twice in a row"

The monster that had the power of three devil fruits now locked eyes with the battered rubber-man and grinned wickedly.

" RUN "

The only word that captain of the strawhat pirates managed to utter before falling into the oblivion. And crew obligated.

Catarina Devon blocked their path to freedom, changing into their deceased beloved navigator, mocking them with her muffled laughter.

Jimbei had enough.

He rushed towards Devon and sent her flying through the wall.

"I'm going to hold them off for a bit, then join you later…Now run for it!"

Others protested, begged him to just run with them, but fishman already made his decision.

"Truly. Some beings of this world are rotten right to their core. But I don't care. No one passes through me! Be it crazed marines, the worst pirates alive, murderous monsters, or God himself! Luffy-kun is going to be a king of the pirates one day, and that's why I am here to make sure he escapes today!"

The first one to move was the swordsman.

"We can't stay here, let's go or we all end up dead! Jimbei, you better get back to us!" he yelled as he grabed unconscious Luffy.

They were on their way to the Sunny when...

Rob Lucci appeared from thin air. Grabbed Usopp by his neck and disappeared without a trace.

"What the-"

"USOPP!"

Zoro bit his lip so hard it started bleeding.

"We can find him later! Now concentrate on getting to the ship!" he gritted out.

They escaped that day only thanks to the fishman.

They waited for him. But he never returned.

And neither the sniper.

Two fell. Eight remain?

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The ambush was abrupt and quick. The same 'attack and grab' action that CP-0 pulled on them earlier. Only this time it was Big Mom pirates. Injured strawhats did what they could, but they still couldn't stop them from kidnapping Sanji. the best chef on the planet, together with his big heart and violent tendencies.

He was cook first and foremost, so he used his legs to fight. His hands were his life. They knew that very well.

And yet…

It was as if someone continuously pierced their hearts with stout jagged needles.

The pain was excruciating.

They blamed themselves, writhed in self-hate.

They knew it wasn't going to bring them back, but the feeling of guilt was just too heavy to ignore. Especially for Luffy. He was the captain. It was his responsibility to protect his crew.

What kind of captain was he if he let a few broken bones, bruises, and ruptured veins stop him from saving his friends?

A shitty one.

Hah, that's what Sanji would've said if he was here.

If…he was here.

He wanted to give a chase. Go and retrieve his stolen friends. It was his cook, his sniper. He wanted to do it so much…No, he couldn't. At least not until they healed up a bit. He couldn't allow them to risk their lives like that ever again. His recklessness already caused enough problems.

He was disgusted by his helplessness.

They were sitting on cold stone ground in impenetrable blackness of the cave while listening to the sound of dripping water. Scared. Drained of all energy. Famished and nervous. Huddled together to warm each other around the fire.

Only Luffy was more in back, alone, playing with Sanji's golden lighter.

At first innocent urge to fiddle with something became a quite dangerous habit.

Luffy loved watching the fire. It was so warm and comforting. It reminded him of his brother's loving hugs. The warmth...He missed it. The fire's cracking was somehow similar to Ace's cackling at his weak punches...

He did it whenever he was nervous. But the heat was never enough for him. He needed to feel its hotness directly on his skin.

He became obsessed with it. That's why he wasn't allowed near it by the crew. Because then he would always come too close and burn himself.

Nobody found out yet, but he started to burn his hands with lighter. He would always wrap some bandages around them and dodge questions about it.

Who would've thought that dodging the question is much more easier than lying outright.

The burning sensation made him feel like he was hugging one of his friends that he couldn't hug anymore. He discovered this strange feeling while training on Ruskania. Back then, it was like he was hugging Ace, but decided not to pursue it. But now…Desperate situations called for desperate measures. Now he projected the feeling on every friend he lost.

The foul odor of fishes and dirt mixed together with stench of blood and disinfection. It made everyone dizzy.

They thought nobody could find them there.

And yet…

There it was.

The News Coo, innocently scuttling from side to side with…package and newspaper in its beak. The gull tossed it to them and flew away.

Everyone surrounded the mysterious yet suspicious package and wondered what it was. They were eager and horrified at the same time. Maybe it was food? Or water? Painkillers perhaps?...Or a trap?

Swordsman carefully opened it and peeked inside. Cyborg flashed some light so they could see the contents. At the bottom of the box was a jar and a letter. He grabbed the jar and looked more closely.

The sound of the glass shattering echoed throught the cavern.

Severed fingeres.

Without nails, broken and some even skinned.

All twenty of them.

A disgusting smell lingered from the spilled contents.

They couldn't breath. A sinister feeling of predicament appeared in their minds.

Musician shrilled in horror as he showed them the envelope.

"Riddle time! Who's are these? Do you know?"

was written on it in pink ink, decorated with mocking swirls and hearts.

They became pale as sheets of paper. Chills going down their spines. Seeing black spots before their eyes.

Of course they knew.

Brook opened it. The photo he took out was absolutely horrifying. There was Sanji's severed head. It was in the box with a red bow. His eyes were rolled back, and he had all kinds of cuts across his face. The 'present' was …addressed to Zeff.

They lost Sanji.

.

.

.

They cried and lamented poor cook's death.

A little did they know... That the sniper was also living out his worst nightmare, right above them in the marine base.

Unaware of the fact, they remained mourning their friends.

.

.

.

Sniper's suffering was nearing the end.

He finally became the brave warrior of the sea, though!

He didn't tell them anything!

.

.

.

Usopp took his last breath as his disfigured bloody body slumped against the cold moisty wall of the cell.

And the worst was yet to come…

Four fell. Six remain?  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours went by in painful, profound silence. Well, at least until Robin couldn't help herself anymore. She had to occupy her mind with something else. Newspaper? Either that or the dark scenarios that swirled in her head, so why the heck not?

Maybe that was a mistake.

Her hold of the paper tightened as she read the first title.

**_The biggest criminal of this era revealed! Meet Strawhat Monkey D. Luffy, the ruler of the underworld!_ **

Robin's eyes widened. She read the title out loud to get the crew's attention. Some of them grimaced in disgust and others in sheer confusion.

_One of our journalists obtained very valuable information that made us question reasons not only of recent events but also of major events that took place two years ago. And what we discovered is seriously shocking!_

_On the day of the massacre on a fishman island, where Navy and Blackbeard clashed, Blackbeard made an interesting statement._

_After emerging victorious in the battle and obtaining one of the ancient weapons, he was asked a simple question by an injured marine captain:"Why are you doing this?" Nobody expected emperor to answer. His response shocked everyone present_

_"How should I know? I'm just following orders from my boss Monkey D. Luffy. I don't know what he is going to do with it. Zehahaha"_

_We immediately started the investigation. Pieces came together, and we reached our conclusion. Pirate Monkey D. Luffy was the one behind the Paramount war and assassination of the Nefertari family. Rumor has it that he goes around pillaging and destroying islands these days. So he's finally showing his true colors. Can you believe it? He was hiding his brilliance and brutality behind the carefree dumb persona this whole time!_

They looked at each other with perplexed faces, but let Robin continue reading. Only she registered Vivi's family name.

_As a man who strives for the title of the pirate king, he had to get rid of the competition first, which was the four emperors. His first target became Whitebeard. He sent his loyal subordinate Portgas D. Ace, who acted as his brother, to join Whitebeard's crew to collect more information. Ace discovered that the captain cares deeply for his crew, and decided to take advantage of it. Ace also recruited Marshall D. Teach now known as a Blackbeard, and they set their plan into the motion. Teach turned Ace in. Then they just had to wait for Navy to make a move. They knew that Fire fist was going to be given a public execution and thus provoking Whitebeard. The plan went perfectly. Marines weakened Whitebeard and Teach finished him off while also taking his devil fruit. But that was not was one more step to the plan._

_The elimination of Fire fist Ace. His heritage posed a threat to Luffy's dream._

_The former captain of Spade pirates sacrificed himself for Luffy. That is an undeniable fact. Perhaps he really saw him as his little brother. Is the captain of the Strawhat pirates so twisted that he can play weak just to get Ace to sacrifice himself for him while looking innocent? He just used his brother's love to kill him._

At this point, the whole crew was boiling with anger. How could someone suggest something so ridiculous?! Did they really think people would believe such shit? And that bastard Blackbeard!

"What's next? Them claiming that kid Luffy intentionally got Shanks to sacriface his arm for him, as to weaken future yonko at the time?!" zoro barked.

Luffy, vexed beyond belief, punched the nearby wall with extreme force. There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes, promising nothing good to the one who wrote that abomination.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the article.

_But Fire fist wasn't the only one that claimed to be Luffy's brother. Sabo, the chief of staff of the revolutionary army, did so too. He trusted the devil with straw hat and paid for it. On the fourth day of the Reverie, as we informed you last week, a murder took place. Sabo assassinated Nefertari Cobra, the king of the Alabasta and tried to kill his daughter Nefertari Vivi. The princess's location is unknown at the murderer was captured and executed for his misdeeds._

Luffy tore the newspaper from Robin, who's hands trembled uncontrollably.

"That's a lie! That's a big. fat. fucking. lie!" he screamed in rage.

"Why is this happening?" he sobbed.

_We speculate that Luffy heard rumors about the ancient weapon being somewhere in Alabasta and attempted to take over the kingdom. Like a former warlord, Sir Crocodile tried. It's also interesting that strawhats were in the country when he did._

_Not only Navy is out for his blood, but also Big Mom because of the stunt he pulled on her daughter's wedding a few months ago._

_**The hunt is on! Tremble with fear Strawhat! Because we are coming!**_  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They made him a scapegoat for all wrongdoings happening in the world. He was used as a diversion for Blackbeard, an excuse for government's great cleansing, and a cover fo underworld bosses. They were hunted like animals, sneered at, glared at with murderous hatred and disgust by everyone. They had nowhere to go.

Luffy was caressing Robin's head in his lab. They were alone. Everyone else was…gone. They only had each other. Luffy didn't care about what people thought about him, but when they attacked them, he was enraged. He didn't kill them but hurt them a lot so they won't try again. He usually breaks a limb or two... Or every one of them.

But y'know, people are so dumb

They just don't get it.

No one touches Robin.

.

.

.

He only wants to protect his last friend.

"I knew it. I was never supposed to be happy. I destroyed the crew. You should've just left me to die back then in Alabasta."

... Boy craddles her head anyway and gently stroked her hair.

"Luffy…I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I brought you down with me, back to my old life."

Robin was apologizing while gasping for air and crying.

"You know that's not true. It was because I was too weak... I-I can't forgive myself…"

.

.

.

They were sitting in dark alley, resting their beaten bodies, hidden from the public eye. They should've guessed he would still find them there. They should've just kept on running.

" Zehahaha! What a nice surprise to find you here, boss! Wanna grab something to eat?" Blackbeard mocked.

Their linked hands trembled.

"What about you just go fuck yourself you son of b-mmmph!" Luffy barked.

Robin shook her head in fear, trying to shut Luffy up with her hand.

"What does Blackbeard-san needs from us? There's not much we can offer." She inquired.

"Oh, I like your attitude Nico Robin. Much more, than your captain's. I require your knowledge. If you decode these, I will let you go. After all, I am not that much of a scum. So what do ya think?"

Robin grabbed the papers without hesitation. She would do anything for her captain's safety. Luffy only nervously observed.

When she finished, she stood up and made her way toward him.

"Here"

"Why thank you dearie" he grinned.

When she turned around, he pulled out a gun.

"NO, WAIT!"

*BANG

"Otototo, haha sorry sorry, but I don't wanna you going after One Piece too. See ya around Strawhat! Zehahaha!"

Luffy pressed Robin's dead body to him. Her warm blood was flowing down his shoulder. He let it happen again. Then, something in him cracked.

He felt unbelievable rage.

It was nothing like he ever felt before.

The bloodlust was born within him.

Nine fell. One remains.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're here Luffy"

.

.

.

*silence

.

.

.

"Oi oi oi, don't tell me you're still sleeping-yoi"

.

*heavy breathing

.

"You were the one that kept on pestering me to let you know when the island comes into sight y'know"

.

.

.

.

"Hey Luffy!"

.

.

*SNOOOOOOOOORE

.

.

" Now you're just fucking with me ain't ya, Luffy?"

.

.

"I wanna m- mumble ... I'm hung-zzzzzz"

.

.

.

.

"You're unbeliavable"

.

.

.

"Wake the hell up-yoi!" Marco yelled out and took a sharp dive down towards the island.

.

.

*WZOOOM

.

.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


	2. Meet the family

Raven-haired youngster that was previously rather peacefully sleeping in phoenix's fiery feathers was now wide-awake, holding on for dear life as he screamed his lungs out.

"WHOA whoa, what the- . What's happening?!"

"That's your wake up call you dope" Marco grinned, enjoying Luffy's startled face.

Oh god. You can't even possibly imagine how much he wanted to have a camera right now. Ace would absolutely love to see Luffy's silly face. He could easily picture breathless second commander rolling on the floor, howling with laughter.

Ace was always running around the deck, shoving wanted posters of his idiotic little brother into people's faces, never missing a proud smile and sparks of adoration in his deep-set dark eyes.

Marco's grin softened as he reminisced about good old times. The times when every man could sail freely in those wild, uncharted waters, glance down into unreachable indigo depths and look for red eyes of a sea kings. When the rough waves and remorseless winds pushed them towards new fun islands…

Now,…there is only war. The death follows close behind you on sea and land alike. It doesn't matter where you go. It will find you sooner or later. Formerly populous towns and villages became bloody battlefields, work camps, or were completely erased from the map.

How lucky they are that they still have a place where to return. A place to call... home.

As Marco thought about warm black tea and smiling people waiting for them, he unconsciously got closer to the sea's surface.

"Oi, Bird-brain! Watch out!"

"Wha-! Wow, that was a close one-yoi."

Phoenix regained their previous height and sighed in relief.

"What were you doing?!" Luffy yelled in distress "You could've killed us!"

"Well, you're one to talk, Giggles. I'm always the one saving your sorry ass-yoi. "

"But at least I'm not trying to drown us in that black goo!"

"I just spaced out. I was thinking about something... You should try it sometimes too, y'know~" Marco jeered.

"What was that?!"

*BONK

'Did... he just... hit me?... That lil' shit's too cheeky'

"Wahahaha you should've seen your face!" Luffy wheezed while laughing his head off and pinched a fistful of feathers on Marco's head.

"... Well... You asked for it"

"What?" Luffy tilted his head to the side in confusion.

But Marco only smirked and turned his body upside down, so that Luffy was hanging with half of his body in the air.

Marco the Phoenix used his free fall technique...

"UWAAAAAAAAAAH!"

... And it was super effective!

"Stupid-head! Stupid-head! Stooooop!"

.

.

.

The sea is quickly being consumed by darkness. With only one touch, you are doomed. All kinds of sea animals, unfortunate people, and the sea itself will perish soon. After long five years, darkness spread across the ocean so much that there are only a few routes which only a small boat can take. That's why these days people travel through the air. Aerial technology and useful artificial devil fruits flood markets every single day. However, only nobles and wealthy merchants can afford them. Other people are stuck on their islands with no way of escaping.

With the sea gone, wars between government and Blackbeard's fleet raging on, and the ancient weapons in the play…

Well, in summary, the world has become a pretty screwed up place to live in.

.

.

.

After he finally had enough of thinking about the end of the world and rubber-man's constant shrieking, Marco slowed down and circled to the ground.

"What was that for, you asshole?!"

Marco lifted his left eyebrow in silent question.

"Gaah, fiiine... I guess I deserved the second one, but why the first one though?! "

"I called you. That didn't work so I tried something different" Marco shrugged off.

"But why didn't you just say the magic word?! I would be awake in an instant!"

"Oh please, believe me, I don't doubt that at all. I could simply whisper the word meat and you would still hear me even from Laugh Tale. Do I need to remind you what happened last time you meat-obsessed numbskull?"

Luffy pouted "You're still on that? Jeez"

Marco couldn't believe his ears. He snapped „Still on that?! You were so angry at me for saying it and not actually having it that you demanded I roast myself! We nearly crashed thanks to your thrashing!"

"And I still bet you would taste awful you ancient fossil! BLEEEGH" Luffy mocked phoenix, sticking his tongue out.

"Tsk. Ancient fossil you say? I am not even sixty yet! You cheeky little bastard… But honestly?" Marco smirked as he smoothly landed on lush wet grass "It's more fun this way. Your scared face cracks me up"

"Jerk" boy hissed under his breath and hopped down from the mystical bird. Marco's blue smokless flames swiftly disappeared as he transformed into his human form.

"Next time you're using your own wings. I don't wanna listen to your rambling"

"Buut Marcooo. You know th-"

"No. You excuses and puppy eyes won't work on me anymore. You are flying by yourself. Period." Marco said with finality, ending the argument.

'Well, we'll see abou that'

If Marco thought Luffy was going to buy that, then he must've hit his head pretty hard. Luffy knew all his weaknesses. He was one of them, duh.

"Come on Luffy. They must be worried sick. After all, we're quite late. I wouldn't be surprised if they already started mobilizing the entire group-yoi"

As soon as they stepped one foot into the picturesque village, an azure-haired girl slammed right into Luffy's body, enveloping him in a surprisingly strong hug while Marco got bright smiles and waves from villiagers brimming with relief that they safely made it home.

"Yo Vivi. I'm home. Shishishishishi" Luffy giggled with a radiant smile on his face as he returned her heartfelt embrace. Few tears strayed from her eyes down onto his shoulder.

"You idiot. Welcome home"

She wasn't frowning anymore. Vivi was now sporting a huge genuine smile. He could feel it on his skin as she laid her face in the crook of his neck. It warmed his heart. He doesn't like his friends sad, but it's nice to know that they care so much for him. After a few more squeezes, they let go of each other.

"Let me guess, Phoenix-ya. Strawhat-ya ditched my plan yet again, made everything even more complicated, and that's why you're so late" Law sneered, walking over to the group with his ever so tired grimace. Although, if one paid closer attention to his grey, piercing eyes, they would see them flicker with repressed joy and relief.

Marco sighed in defeat "Very complicated. You have noooo idea"

That seemed to amuse surgeon as he tried to hide a faint smile under his white spotty hat.

"Believe me. I can imagine"

"You bastards are SO dead!"

Duo immediately froze in horror as they looked at two mad female beasts rushing to them at incredible speed. They didn't even have the time to blink as the said beasts pounced on them.

*THONK

Luffy got the first hit, right across his head with haki-infused umbrella.

"OUCH!"

"You…" Perona rumbled dangerously.

'Oooh shit.'

"Ah Rona, y-you see…heheh"

"YOU BASTARDS! COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST CALL IF YOU SCREWED UP YOUR MISSION?! Not that I was worried or anything. I don't give two shits about you. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEAREST NAVY BASE AND GET YOUR SORRY ASSES WHOOPED BY AKAINU FOR ALL I CARE!" girl barked in irritation as tears threatened to fall down.

She reminded Luffy of an angry pink frog that looked more adorable than threatening. After a few minutes of stomping and throwing deadly glares at the boy, she fell silent.

"Will you leave me too?" she whispered in a low voice that only Luffy could hear her. Stunned, he took her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her into a quick but tight hug. It looks like today he will be giving more hugs than usual. Not that he was complaining. He was always a cuddly monster. Luffy even managed to infect unshakable Ace and Law. No one escapes cuddles from Luffy and lives. NO ONE!

"I'm sorry, Rona…We couldn't have reported to you even if we wanted to, because I forgot to bring den den mushi with me. I am really sorry. I'll be more careful next time, okay?" Luffy murmured as he gently stroked her silky, pink hair.

"Ugh re-really y-ou…" she stuttered with vivid blush present on her face. "I should've guessed it was your fault again! You are dumb as a doornail after all."

"Hey!...But yeah, that was pretty stupid of me"

"Well, as long as you know it… But that doesn't mean I forgive you just with that"

Luffy paled, started pleading and slowly backing away " Oh come on, let's calm down and talk this out"

"Negative hollow!" Perona exclaimed as she summoned her ghost clone. Without any mercy, hollow passed through Luffy. He felt an unfathomable amount of despair hit him and it brought him to his knees.

"I'm pathetic excuse for a human. I shoul've been born as a clam. I'm sorry I breathe the same air as other human beings that walk on this planet. I'm as useless as Dadan's comb that she has never used once in her life." He repeated on and on.

"Horohorohoro now we're even"

"Pffft-hahah-mmph OUCH!" Marco tried to stiffen his laugh as he was getting assaulted by Koala's mighty fists of fury.

"Koala-san!" Vivi gasped in surprise. Even though punches and kicks flew in every direction on daily basis, she still wasn't use to it.

"You don't get to laugh at him Pineapple-head! Why didn't you bring your den den mushi? You're supposed to be the responsible one out of you two. Don't tell me you actually believed Luffy wouldn't forget his?" ex-revolutionary scolded blond man.

'Gosh, seriously? The blond men are the worst. First Sabo and now this idiot. He's only responsible when he's not with Luffy. Speaking of Luffy…He's much more similar to Sabo than the phoenix now that I think about it'

"Don't be so angry just 'cause we didn't rep-uuf" Luffy was interputed by Koala's punch to the jaw.

"It huuurts! Koala you jerk! What was that for?!"

"You shut up! You two are so much alike it hurts! Both of you are so selfish! Always endangering yourselves and letting your friends alone, worried. No wonder you became ungrateful jerk! Aggh, just thinking about him makes my blood boil!" she tried to sound irritated but deep unswerving fondness found its way into her voice.

"Koala-san there's no need for violence. I am sure they're sorry about the whole thi-"

*BONK

"Oi! Why did you hit me?! I may be blond but I ain't Sabo!"

"Koala-san, they had a h-"

Koala ingnored Marco's protests and turned her demonic face to Luffy again. " You are not a child anymore. You are 24 years old for the love of god! Grow up already!"

Vivi finally gave up. Once the rehead started yelling, there was no way of stopping her. She sighed deeply and leaned back on the fence behind her. Law gave her a comfoting pat on the shoulder. He knew better than anyone how hard is it to deal with 'passionate' individuals.

"Now now ladies, we know how much you were worried about them, but let them breathe for a minute. They just got home" Rayleigh insisted, appearing behind them.

"AAHH!"

"Ray-san! I told you not to do that. You almost gave me a heart attack! AGAIN!" Koala scolded.

"Don't worry Koala-ya, you have here the expert on heart surgeries after all" Law smirked smugly. " Should I check yours right now? Maybe your heart condition has something to do with you violent outbursts. " He 'innocently' eyed her.

"I almost forgot we have you Mr. Creep, I didn't recognize you without your usual black circles under you eyes" Koala retorted with Luffy rolling on the grass in the background, having the time of his life, laughing at his two friends.

"You're one to talk old geezer. You didn't sleep properly last three days while they were away" Perona scoffed at Rayleigh.

"Yeah! Who we caught at 2 am going 'for a early morning swim and absolutely not to rescue the two idiots' ?" other girl chimed in, already concentrated on scolding the man rather than continuing her fight with Law.

That made Rayleigh look away, embarrased. " That doesn't matter right now. Let's go visit Issho. He was quite nervous too."

"huuh really, uncle Rayleigh?" Luffy teased, snickering.

"Laugh all you want but, don't even think about skipping training tommorow, you have to catch up. We didn't train together for a week, you have to get back on track Luffy."

Luffy stopped cackling, his expression turned group proceeded to the biggest isolated house right beneath the grassy hill.

As they strode in silence, Marco decided to broke it with a qustion"So…how is he? I know that even when I am away, that Law is still here, but…with my abilities the treatment is much more effective:"

"His condition didn't worsen but also didn't improve" Law said in a monotonous voice.

"I see…"

Rayleight tried to lighten up the mood "This morning I caught two sea kings. Perona, Vivi, you think you could prepare them for dinner? I have a feeling we could use more meat today"

Luffy immediately beamed at the idea and started drolling " Meaaaaat…eheheh"

"Oh my god, his eyes are sparkling. Too…bright" said Marco shielding his eyes.

"Shut your mouth or something flies into it" Koala sighed and tried to push his jaw up with her hand. "Ewww, his droll is on my hand"

She thought for a second and then wiped the wet hand into Law's coat.

Surgeon swiftly turned around.

"What. the actual fuck. do you think. you're doing Koala"

"Oh? No ya this time?"

Others ignored those two, more interested in the meat topic. After all, their island was one of a few left that wasn't surrounded by darkness yet.

"Of course Rayleigh-san, but we will need some help with it" Vivi smiled at him.

"AND we need someone to…" Perona glanced at crazed eyes Luffy "…make sure that the moron stays far away from it before we're done"

Before they could start an argument who will have the pleasure of looking after Luffy they already were at the door to the their house. Everyone went inside, except for Luffy who was still in his meat world.

"C'mon you weirdo" Koala smiled as she tugged him by his streched ear.


	3. I am here for you

*SLAM

"Luffy~!"

"You-gara are back!"

"ARGH!"

Two merry balls of fur lunged onto poor man and flattened him out to a pitiful rubbery pancake.

"UUUFF" Luffy wheezed under their weight, mentally cursing his impatience.

Well, maybe if he wasn't such an airheaded smiley dumbass, he would've used his observation haki before bursting into the room like that. But nooo, he carelessly dropped his guard down, and now he feels like his guts are about to crawl out of his nostrils.

"Ti-m- ooo-uf!..uff… T-time out!..." squashed Luffy rasped out while heavy paws were crushing his windpipe.

He could've avoided the whole assault. He just needed to fucking think.

The person that enters first becomes their victim. That's a undeniable well-known fact which he should already know about from the last five ywar's experience, but he just looked so forward seeing Issho-ossan again that his meat-filled mind shut down and only excitement remained.

The possibility of lurking lethal affection was offhandedly dissmised by the unconcerned brain of his.

But that's the thing.

He doesn't think about thinking and just goes for it. Most of the time, it works out somehow.

But this time...ugh, he was damned.

Although the thinking didn't hurt his head anymore, he still didn't feel like doing it too often. Too much thinking brought up too many painful memories... But hey! At least he managed to beat Traffy at chess once! Even though that surgeon of death was wasted as fuc-

"Gar-"

Luffy's train of thoughts abruptly ditched its mental rails and crashed straight into dark void of sudden pain. The worst part has begun. The biting.

"-chuuu!"

"ITEEEEEEEEEE!"

Nekomamushi and Carrot nuzzled their cheeks on Luffy's, biting and stretching his skin in every direction possible. Even though as happy as he was to reunite with his fuzzy friends, he couldn't say he was enjoying their sharp teeth pricking his tanned skin.

"I... think I see th-the light...Only the savory fatty chunk of meat can save me...*cough cough" Luffy wailed.

"That's a shame...Oh well, say hello to Sabo for me I guess"

Luffy gasped dramatically.

"I can't believe you! I-I though that we were friends! Is this how betrayal feels like?"

"Ugh, zip it! You are not a kid Luffy." Koala snapped. "You can get out of this just as easy ,and you certainly don't need the meat for that!"

"Wow, I didn't know that Koala was so dumb. You're stating the obvious. Of course I don't need the meat for escaping. I just want that meat, duh."

There was now strong pressure on his right thigh, dangerously near his crotch.

Furious Koala was burying her foot deep into his tender flesh with her new thin high-heels.

"So you want a meat, huh?" she repeated in cold threatening tone.

Luffy gulped nervously. This doesn't look good.

She slid her foot gently onto his crotch, and Luffy's innocent chocolate eyes widened in horror.

"Oh look, there's a nice lump of meat right here. I can rip it off for you if you are so hungry."

His heart dropped at the last sentence and started to panic.

The still cuddling minks didn't help the situation either.

"K-Koala c'mon. Y-you know th-that I didn' mea-"

"Huuuuh? What did you saaay?" she increased the pressure and glowered at the writhing man beneath her.

"Owww, I'm sorrrrryyyyy!" Luffy bawled. Koala is fucking terrifying right now. He wants his navigator back, not a ball-ripping although angel-faced ex-revolutionary.

No wonder Sabo feared her wrath. She was definitely not the one to toy with.

Maybe Koala's right, he should just grow up already. He's only making it worse for himself by doing stuff without thinking...like making fun of Koala for example.

"Well said, Luff~."

Koala smirked and retreated her foot.

"I hate you." Luffy sniffled, but Koala only stuck out her tongue in a mocking manner at him.

Luffy glared at the offensive limb like it murdered his dog.

"Someone needs a second coffee today" Rayleigh chuckled and sat down on navy blue sofa in the right corner.

"One coffee won't fix Luffy's childishness, Ray-san." Koala pouted, looking away from laughing man.

Despite the insult Luffy smiled too.

He likes the ginger-haired girl. Actually, really really likes her.

He loves her encouraging smiles, her protectivness, comforting hugs and occasional sparks of mischief in her eyes. They look out fo each other. She makes him feel loved and cared for, and he protects her and cheers her up whenever her mind wanders too far into dangerous places.

Most of the time the memories of destruction of fishman island and Sabo's execution are what sets her off. She goes into a horrible rampage and mindlessly destroys everything around her. After sating her anger, with bitter tears streaming down her cheeks, she wants to throw herself into the depths of the ocean, but Luffy is always there to stop her. He's the only one that can calm her down, but no one knows why. He draws soothing circles on her back and whisperes something in her ear. After a while, she returns to normal and is at Luffy's side for the rest of the day, craving his reassuring touch. She's like an older sister to him at this point and he would give up his life for her, same goes for other people in the room...But honestly, she scares the shit out of him sometimes.

Luffy finally managed to free his hand and move the big-ass cat off of him. Nekomamushi yelped as he tumbled to his right side, but only for a few seconds, then he went back to cuddling the straw-hatted boy.

Agh, seriously. Now he feels like his position of cuddly monster is threatened. So they're asking for a fight? He won't be outdone! Neverrrrr!

"Nekomamushi, Carrot! I missed you guys!" Luffy rejoiced as he hugged his friends.

"Shhh, Issho-san is sleeping!"

"Then maybe you should shut up too, dummy." Perona remarked, tappng her umbrella lightly on the former princess's head

"Oh, right! Sorry!"

Ghost-girl gave her a look as if saying 'Are you for real?'.

"My bad." Vivi finally whispered and silently observed as Carrot was trying to rip Luffy's left ear off.

"I'm so, SO glad that you're okay!"

"Of course Carrot. It takes much more to kill me! Shishishi"

"Hey! Don't shishishi me! I was really worried y'know!" snow-white bunny sniffled and looked him straight into his sparkly brown eyes.

"But look! We totally aceeed the mission, and here we are -… We're back home, happy and alive, aren't we Marco?" Lufy rubbed his nose with Carrot's small one and looked up to the grinning male.

"Sure we are, giggles." Marco said, came up to them and affectionately ruffled Luffy's raven hair.

As a confirmation to the nickname, Luffy giggled.

He loved the feeling of fingers running through his wild hair.

"But aced the mission? Where the hell did you get that bullshit, huh? We almost got captured thanks to your random library raid-yoi. What even are you going to do with all those books?"

"Well I-" Luffy tried to explain his actions, but was swiftly interrupted by confused almost spooked off Law.

"Wu-Wait! I must've heard you wrong Marco-ya. Did you just say that HE," he pointed at the jolly man sitting on the floor "almost screwed up the whole mission because of some books and not food?" Law blurted out, totally perplexed. That fire chicken has to be pulling jokes on him or something. There's no way Luffy would voluntarily sit and read a goddamn book. Well, at least as long as there was something else to do.

He shivered.

Oh no, the flashbacks.

The meat baits, bites everywhere, blood mixed with drool, limb knots and mother-fricking Luffy with his all too flexible neck.

Or nightmare material so to say. Absolutely perfect for his insomnia.

He needs his rum. Quick.

And while he doesn't like drinking often, has low toleration for alcohol and prefers coffee...it seems that simple coffee wouldn't let him forget the memories of him stuffing all kinds of knowledge down Luffy's throat which are better left untouched.

"Yeah Traffy! You told me you don't have anything to read and you're bored, sooo I thought I fetch some books for ya!" Luffy chuckled and gave Law his bright smile

Now was surgeon shocked even more.

'He was actually listening to me?'

'Did he gave up the meat for the books for me?'

'Someone must've punched the idiot's head way too hard'

'What do I say?! I'm not gonna thank him just because he-'

'Or did someone hit me in the head ? With a bulldozer presumably?'

'So, should I thank him?'

Law's thoughts chaotically swirled in his mind and heat rised up in his face.

"You' re redder than his cardigan, loverboy" Koala teased.

"Yeah, you're blushing like crazy-yoi" Marco joined bullying his fellow doctor.

Everyone inside started cackling.

"Horohoro well ain't that sweet of him."

"Greow-nyan nyan nyan. You-gara are sure shy."

Law sighed and calmed down. These feelings of 'affection' are uncomfortable even after living with them for five years.

"Oh. Thanks Lu-Luffy" Law ignored their comments and hid his flushed face under the white hat. He tried to play indolent, but his hot cheeks and stammering betrayed him.

Tch, those two are always picking on him. He wants to slice them to bits. No,… he's gonna deal with them later. There are too many witnesses nearby. He's going to dismember them and arrange them somehow on the old kitchen clock, so everyone can admire his art early in the morning. Yeah, that sounds fun. Law wasn't blushing anymore. In a place of pink tinted cheeks and embarrassed grimace was now a sinister grin.

Luffy only softly snickered, patted Law on the shoulder and gave him the backpack with the books.

Koala hasn't given up the chance to tease Law yet.

"My my Traffy, where all those ya went today? Did you give them vacation or somethin'?" Koala purred and leaned back on the wall beside him.

That's it. That does it. He's gonna fillet her. Right here, right now.

"Shut it you eucalyptus-eating witch" he hissed, scowling again.

"You shut it you Germa-nerd. There isn't a day, that I don't hear your whining. Just deal with it already! The com- "

That was a mistake. A HUGE ONE.

A hostile, cold aura enveloped Law.

"Do not dare to finish that sentence." he threatened.

"The comic Sor-"

"No, shut up."

"-ra Warrior of the Sea ended!"

"So you have chosen death." Law growled and unsheathed Kikoku.

Koala readied herself for a fight.

"So much for 'I am the responsible one. You should grow up Luffy.' and 'You always do stupid things, Strawhat-ya'" Luffy laughed as he imitated their voices.

He was soon met wih two glares and loud "SHUT UP!" from the grumpy coffee-obsessed duo.

But before the brawl could break out, a hoarse, almost brittle voice echoed through the room.

"Luffy-kun… Marco… welcome back" Issho said with a small smile gracing his face.

"Can you go get a glass of water, giggles?"

"Sure, Marco."

Luffy stood up and ran to the kitchen.

"And no emptying the fridge! Wait for the dinner!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Luffy called out, already downstairs.

"We should go Perona-chan. I don't believe him not touching the fridge" Vivi sighed.

Perona nodded " Yeah, we should start cooking if we don't want to be eaten by the rubber beast. Horohorohoro. Now Rayleigh,…Go fetch those two sea kings so we can start"

"At it ladies. I will visit you after dinner, Issho!"

"Su-re Rayleigh, we c..can roll some dices ha..haha"

The trio disappeared, and Marco with Law were already in their doctor mode.

"So how are you feeling Issho, still feverish?"

"It's be..-tter tha -n yesterday I suppose. I didn't coo..oughed f-for a two days now"

"You-gara are terrible liar-nyan. I clearly saw you cough up that bloody chunk this morning"

"Your sight must've decei..ved you. I-wheeze- slept like a log till br-br-eakfast."

Law's eyes narrowed in displeasure.

"Marco-ya." Law said with tense low voice.

"Hm?"

"Turn the pillow around."

Marco's eyes widened.

He sprinted to the pillow and tugged, but Fujitora held it tightly to his chest.

"Marco…it's..ju-" blind man started to argue but he couldn't muster enough strengh in his weak hands and in one swift move, Marco snatched it away.

Phoenix turned the white cushion over and stared in horror on the crimson stains.

Koala gasped and covered her mouth, tears pricking at her eyes.

"I knew it" Law stated, frowning. "Tch, I should've be more attentive."

"Then I guess pillo -wheeze- pillow isn't eno -ugh to m-muffle the sound of my coughing. ..Please e…excuse me, I didn't want to wake you up, Neko..mamushi." ex-admiral apologized ,breathing heavily.

"Issho!"

"Issho-san…no way.."

"This isn't a game Issho-ya! It's not poker or dices. Your money aren't at risk. This is your life you are slowly gambling away!"

The door clattered open with Luffy in it.

"I have the water heeree" he announced cheerily.

Then his gaze fell on blood-stained fabric that Marco clutched in his hands.

His gaze hardened.

He looked at pale old man in bed and then back on the pillow.

He put two and two together.

The room became quiet.

Luffy carefully placed the glass of cool water on the table beside the sofa and walked over to the bed, where he sat down on the edge and watched Issho for a moment. After a bit of contemplating , Luffy smiled.

"Hey, Issho-ossan. Do you want to hear about the mission?"

"Strawhat-ya! This isn't time for-" Law started scolding the younger man , but Marco stopped him.

"Good idea, giggles. Call me after you're done, I still wanna check him over-yoi"

"Okie dokie Marco"

"That is good idea, I was also interested in your mission-nyanya"

"Cool! If its like the other missions, then it's gonna be action-packed, exciting helluva story! Tell us, tell us!" Carrot demanded with huge grin plastered on her face.

"Yeah Luffy…Tell us how reckless you were this time." Koala smiled softly, blinking tears away.

Marco grabbed Law's arm and started to drag him away.

"B-but Marco-ya.."

Marco shushed him and closed the door behind them.

"So!" Luffy clapped his hands together excitedly " You won't believe me who we met on the way…"

"That was... AMAZING!" Carrot said with stars in her eyes "Boo, I wanted to go too"

"Haha maybe next time" Luffy smiled and scratched her behind ear.

"Well that was some story-nyan."

"Luffy-kun, you sh-ould be ...more careful. You know how marines are the..these -*cough - days"

"I know, I know Issho-ossan. I just wanted to make Law smile...he...he was being gloomy for a while now."

"Ah, yes. I think it's the anniversary soon, right? Of the ...battle of wits that ensued into outright massacre of leftover Heart pirates." Koala mused quietly.

Carrot shifted nervously and quickly changed the topic.

"Hey Luffy! You want to go spar?! It's been a while"

"Uh-huh, let's go. Nekomamushi! Can you tell Marco?"

"Sure. You-gara can go. Enjoy pummeling yourselves nyan-haha-yan nyan"

"Sweet." Luffy grinned ferociously and cracked his knuckles.

"Hey can I join in? I feel like beating you up after that story. I pound that your recklessness out of you." Koala smiled devilishly and Luffy started sweating bullets.

"W-wwhy not ehehe."

"Have fun-nyan!"

Carrot stretched her legs and hopped a few times in a place

"Sooo, how's your electro? I bet it still isn't on my level, but let's see it" Carrot challenged Luffy and gave him her sweetest smile that spelled danger.

"Yeah I'm also curious Luffy, so show us."Koala trilled in excitement.

Luffy smirked mysteriously and channeled the electricity to the centre of his roughed up palm.

"Ooh, not bad" Koala whistles, impressed by Luffy's progress. After all, he got his second devil fruit half year ago and they discovered that it's zoan type only two months ago. The artificial zoan type devil fruits are presently created with help of mink's DNA. It's entirely diffrent than Smile devil fruits. It is a public knowledge that these artificial zoan devil fruits give the eater some of mink's attributes, like the ability to channel electricity, increased physical strengh, agility and reflexes and someone even gains amplified five senses. The catch is, that some devil fruits created like that have some side effects when using them and Luffy experiences plenty everytime. He ate hito hito no mi: model celestial being. Cool devil fruit, but as it comes with advantages, it comes with disadvantages. (human-human fruit)

"And that's not everything." Luffy beamed at them and coated his right hand in haki.

He channels the electricity to his palm again and the little lightnings changes color from pale blue to vibrant violet.

"...Wow..just wow" Koala breathed in amazement.

"Whaaaa- LUFFY THAT'S SO COOL! I tried to combine these two things for three years now, but I couldn't get myself to concentrate on both at the same time! Teach meee!" star-eyeCarrot cried out in pure elation and jumped up and down.

"Gladly." Luffy said happily and got into the action.

Carrot cheered and blocked his blow it her armament-covered forearms.

*BOOM

*ELECTRICITY CRACKLING

A giant shockwave traveled through near vicinity from the centre of the impact.

"Wow, not bad Luffy, but you still got nothin' on me with your pathetic little lightnings" Carrot smirked.

Then she crouched down and powerfully pushed off the ground into the air and kicked up a leg directed onto Luffy's man dodged without much effort and countered the kick with his right hand "Maybe not with the eletro yet, but haki is a thing I excel at."

"Well yeah, I am only able to use armament haki and observation on low level…But that still doesn't mean anything!" she closed the distance between them and aimed for a slash with her claws to Luffys face.

"Otototo, that was a close one." Luffy mocked Carrot and gestured her to come at him. She tried to hit him for a two whole minutes now, but didn't land a single one.

"Awww, for some reason observation haki isn't as easy as armament. Even though Ray-san is giving me tips, there's no progress. " she conffesed and her ears wilted down.

"Don't worry, that's totally normal! Everyone has aptitude for only one type of haki and others take much more time to master."

"Really?" bunny perked up and jumped to hug him "Thanks Luffy, Garchuuu" and bit down on his cheek.

He wondered how annoying it will become as she discoveres more about the observation haki and he won't be able to avoid all the painful garchuus.


	4. New Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I present to you a new chapter full of cute and sad moments. As you see, the events of last the five years did something to everyone's health. They're scarred either mentally or there are some physical damages, you'll see more in this chapter. But what about Luffy? Now he looks just fine to me. He's smiling, laughing... Let's find out then, what's wrong.
> 
> P. S. As I said before, there will be no romance, so don't mistake fluffy moments for anything more than bonding.(At least not in the main story. I was thinking about bonus chapters, if someone requests some moment in story to be developed into a romantic one, or if I just feel like it, I'll do a bonus chapter with said pairing)
> 
> Read and enjoy!

After the delicious dinner, Luffy, Law and Nekomamushi went to lay near the lit rustic fireplace.

"Greow-nya zzzzz nyan nyan-zzz" Nekomamushi exhaled calmly, bathing in the wamth of the fire while curled into a ball.

Law couldn't resist anymore.

Without a single word, he leaned againist his thick fluffed-out fur and closed his eyes.

It wasn't like Bepo, but it still felt safe.

...

Well, not entirely.

There was something missing...Someone...missing.

Someone crucial.

.

.

.

As he was about to fall asleep, he felt as someone positioned themselves between his legs and leaned their warm back against his chest.

"Hey Traffy."

"Hmm? What?" Law groaned out as he slowly opened his sleepy eyes to look at the boy in his arms.

He expected a bright smile to blind him, but his stare was met only with a big frown.

Law's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and he was about to ask him what was going on, but then Luffy reached out with his finger to Law's face.

He started to gently stroke the soft skin under his right eye.

Law let him do it, curious about Luffy's intentions.

Then it hit him.

"Ah. Wait Luff-"

The boy brought his finger back and looked at it. There was a some kind of powder on it.

"Why?"

His frown deepened as he asked panicked surgeon in a low voice.

"It doesn't concern you." Law tried to dodge the question, but he knew Strawhat wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Quit it with that bullshit and just tell me the truth, stupid."

Law hesitated at first, but then he looked at the boy.

Luffy's eyes bore right into his soul. He just couldn't lie to him.

"Haaa" Law sighed in resignation as he covered his face with his cold hand.

'It's no use. He won't let me be until I tell him.'

"Well?" Luffy urged on.

Surgeon looked back at the annoyingly cute rubber-man and heavily exhaled. As if what he was about to say was going to kill him once he revealed it.

"I just didn't want to worry you. You know how it is with me, when I'm trying to sleep and you're not here with me."

Luffy seemed to think about something for a minute and then he pouted.

"So you put the foundation under your eyes as to conceal those horrible black circles just so I wouldn't worry..." Luffy repeated in disbelief "...and you thought I wouldn't find out eventually? That I wouldn't be mad once I did?"

"Um...I..."

"It's okay, but don't do this again. Otherwise I will have to splash your face with water everytime I see you, and you wouldn't want that now, would you?" Luffy warned.

Law put his chin down on his head, unruly hair tickled his nose.

"Okay, I promise I won't." Law smiled.

"Good" Luffy huffed and stretch his mouth into satisfied grin.

Gray-eyed man hummed in content as he smelled the fresh salty scent of freedom and wrapped his hands around the Luffy's torso.

"I'm cold"

Luffy giggled and also closed his eyes.

Now it was perfect.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nghhh... Hah...Hah..Hah... No... Please..."

He woke up to a painful moaning. Not an unusual occurrence, really. It happened on daily basis.

He found himself tucked carefully in his bed. Rayleigh probably carried him there. He cares about everyone so much. But so does everyone else.

He looked to his right just to see Vivi violently wiggling and crying silent tears.

Oh no. She has another of those nightmares.

They haunted everyone, but Vivi was one of few in the group that had the worst ones.

Maybe only Luffy had worse than her.

"Vivi…" he whispered and poked her cheek.

"Wake up…it's only dream…I'm here with you"

*GASP

Vivi woke up with her eyes wide open and blood-shot. She looked all over the room with her glassy gaze.

Luffy firmly squeezed her shoulders.

.

.

.

"Luffy?"

.

.

"Yeah?"

"..."

"Can we go to roof as always?"

"..."

"Of course."

Luffy hugged her and petted the top of her head soothingly.

He took her by the hand and the blue blanket. They climbed up to the rooftop and sat down. The stars were playfully twinkling in the night sky as if they were already waiting for the pair to arrive.

Luffy wrapped them in the warm blanket.

"Look today's meteor shower!" he pointed excitedly at the falling objects far in the sky and squeezed their intertwined hands.

Vivi didn't shiver anymore and hummed in agreement, leaned more into Luffy's side and slowly began to fall asleep.

.

.

.

After a while, Luffy stood up and gently lifted Vivi under her knees and rest her body on his chest. He brought her back into the room and lay her down.

When he was about to go, something tugged him back.

She was still holding his hand in hers.

He smiled softly and kissed it, wishing her nice dreams.

She also smiled at the light touch and let his hand go.

'Well, I guess it's time I go see them again. I bet they missed me'  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He stood on a peak of the hill. Surrounded by them. His loved ones that he couldn't protect.

The grip around the bouquet of hand-picked flowers tightened.

If it wasn't for them, he would be dead a long time ago...

It happened years ago already, but it still hurt.

The pain will never go away. Just face it already!

Don't be a kid.

Don't be a crybaby.

You are a captain.

No.

He was a captain, but not anymore.

He knew that and yet...

Why didn't the pain even dulled?!

It was still a fresh, sharp, heart-clenching type of pain.

He picked the lighter from his pocket and a couple of candles.

He started from the left.

.

.

.

First candle was lit.

Nami

The navigator of the strawhat pirates. The one that made his dream possible. Who gave him a direction to follow. A woman with big dreams as his own, a strong heart filled with love… and not only for money.

Her last words will be forever engraved into his memory.

Luffy bit down on his lip as he intently looked at her grave and felt up the beri in his pocket.

He went down on his knee and put a dwarf sunflower before her grave

"Adoration"

"Hi Nami, how are you?..."

...

"Are you swimming through millions and millions of berries?"

...

"I hope you do... Are you happy there?"

...

"Are you... mad at me?"

The light of the candle violently flickered.

"Haha, okay okay. When we will meet again you get the first hit on me, okay?"

.

.

.

Second candle was lit.

Sanji

"Hey Sanji. It looks like you really decided to follow a bad captain. Crazy, huh?"

...

"I miss your cooking. Rona and Vivi are really good too, but no one does it better than you."

...

"I am hungry all the time. No one can sate my hunger besides you. That is my punishment for not being able to protect you. But I still feel like it's not enough."

...

"I'll never forgive myself for what happened to you... To Zeff... To the whole crew... Never..." Luffy said as he put down a yelow tulip "sunshine in your smile", a flower worthy of Sanji Vinsmoke.

.

.

.

Third candle was lit.

Ussop

The sniper of the strawhat pirates. Liar amongs liars. Sniper king. God. Or just simply a really good friend. The one that became the bravest of all of them.

"Let's just get out of here! I'm s-sure Nami and Jimbei told me they are coming back to us in a minute, s-so let's wait for them on Sunny!"

That was his last lie, that didn't even have the chance to become true.

Honestly, liar to the bitter end. Or just a naive dreamer?

Cp-0 didn't show any mercy. The document in the navy headquarters they retrieved said that it took 16 hours of gruesome torture just to get a weak "stop" from him, but he still didn't say a thing about his friends. Only after another three days, when he was already on brink of death he talked.

"You can't stop him. H-he will find it. He will be the next king of the pirates and he will save me. He'll come here and kick all of your asses."

His faith in Luffy didn't waver even in the end. He believed in him. And Luffy failed him miserably.

"I'm sorry Usopp... It seems I can't face you yet... How ironic. You've became brave and your captain became the coward... Hahaha"

He was awareded an edelweiss by Luffy.

"Bravest flower for the bravest warrior of sea" Luffy whispered into wind.

.

.

.

Fourth candle was lit.

Jimbei

The helmsman of the strawhat pirates and also the fishman that reminded him in his darkest moment the most important thing. That he still has a family. That he isn't alone he still has something worth fighting for. Someone worth fighting for. Laughing, crying, suffereing and dying for.

Luffy laid down bellflower expressing his deep gratitude and admiration towards the strong kind friend.

"Evening Jinbe" his greetings was met with silence, but he continued with reminiscent smile on his face "Just today I dreamed about the kingdom on the floor of the sea. But it was empty, destroyed, deserted…It wasn't that once beautiful kingdom illuminated by sunlight tree eve, swarming with peaceful merfolk and fishman, astonishing everyone who set their foot in. It was painful to watch the dark streets with only rotting corpses floating around. Walking across blood stained pavement and listen to the horrifying story from the lonely dying survivor…" Luffy's frown deepened "It must've been a dream right?" he croaked out sniffling already.

"No it was not. The prophecy became true. Someone's actions led the fishman island to the destuction. Someone with a strawhat."

Cold wind send shivers down his spine and stinged his damp cheeks. The bitter tears still flowed.

"Yeah that's right. It was my fault they massacred and enslaved them. The peace was never achieved. Because we... I was weakend from the first war, I couldn't protect them. No. Because I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't protect my territory and broke my promise to them."

"They just grabbed Shirahoshi and killed or captured everyone. They fought until the end. But they were still defeated." Luffy's voice cracked and looked above, to the starry sky. He wiped his eyes with his arm and blinked several times before moving onto next one.

"The guilt... It's too heavy... I want to... destroy them... same as they did with my precious things..."

.

.

.

Fifth candle was lit.

Zoro

The first mate of the strawhat pirates, that aspired to be the best swordsman in the world. He was so close…his undying loyality to the captain and the crew brought him on the death's doorstep. He cherished them too much. So much that he gave up his ambition for them and his life.

"Yo captain! As much as I want to be by your side when you achieve your dream, I can't just let them slaughter us one by one. I'll be breaking my promise to you, so please give me my last order so I can go."

Luffy stared at him with glassy eyes and ordered "Go take care of them Zoro"

"Aye aye captain" Zoro smirked and took off.

Luffy's knees buckled under him. He wasn't worth it. Why did they have to die when he has to live?

"Zoro you... bastard..." Luffy cried

The candle's Flame flickered as if saying "Isn't it a first mate's job to take care of his captain?"

".. But it's captain's job to protect his crew... including the first mate..."

...

"Yosh" Luffy stood up a pulled another flower from his arms.

"This one will do." he said, gifting Zoro a Violet "Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness"

.

.

.

Sixth candle was lit.

Brook

The musician of strawhat pirates. A funny skeleton with passion for harrasing ladies. Luffy misses his late night melodies floating across the deck and lulling him to the sleep.

"I won't let anyone hurt my crew again. I don't want to listen to agonizing screaming of my friends again, my ears are for music only. Ah even though I don't have any ears. So let me welcome my friend death a second time with bonecrushing handshake! Yohoho get it? It's a skull jo-"

*Crunch

The sickening sound of crushing bones echoed throught the room.

Luff winced at rememberIng the sound.

"Oi, Brook! Do yo want to hear a song?"

...

candle's light danced excitedly.

"Okay! Ehm ehm.. Yohoho~..."

...

Flower decorating the grave was Zinnia "Thoughts of absent friends"

"Fitting flower for the best skeleton musician out there."

.

.

.

Seventh candle was lit.

Franky

"All of you, run! There will be suuuuper big explosion and it is too awesome for your eyes, so run! Or you will be blinded by awesomnes of this pervert! Luffy and everyone, take care of yourselves and Sunny for me will ya? She can't lose anymore crewmembers or she will be sad. Ou! Supeer self destruction!"

Luffy doesn't like thinking about this particular death... It's too painful.

"This the most super flower I could find Franky" Luffy said as he put down a robotic Iris "Friends"

.

.

.

Eight candle was lit.

Chopper

The doctor of the strawhat pirates. The kindest creature of all. His dream was to find the cure to all illness, so he could help everyone if needed.

"I won't let you touch them! I am doctor of this ship and my obligation is to treat them! I may have a face of a monster, but at least I don't have a mind of one as you have! Monster point"

"Oh,.. Chopper... I am sorry for those" Luffy whispered as he showed the grave his bandaged arms.

"But I feel cold... So so cold... If I had a fur like you, maybe I wouldn't have to..."

Luffy shook his head to get himself continue.

"Here." Luffy uttered silently as he placed anthurium down.

"Kindness, hospitality"

.

.

.

Ninth candle was lit.

Robin

The archaelogist of the strawhat pirates. A woman who was on the run her whole life.

"You blamed yourself to the end."

...

"You should've blamed me!"

...

"I gave you all the hope and then took it away!"

...

Luffy screamed with tears at the silent stone.

...

He gently put down a Lisianthus.

"Everlasting bond"

"That's right. We never really parted and you and I and everyone will always be a nakama."

.

.

.

Tenth candle was lit

Ace

"It seems you didn't miss anything. I won't become a king of the pirates. I won't become the most free man in the world."

...

"Why you ask?"

...

"I am already too burdened by heavy chains of guilt, pain and sorrow."

...

"There's still a small hope, but... We're already looking for five years..."

... A wind picked up and nearly extinguished the candle's Flame.

"No! I am not giving up yet... It just that... It's hard y'know."

"Ace... It all began with you..."

"If I ever have the chance to..."

"... There is something wrong with me"

"I want to make them suffer for what they did."

"All. Of. Them."

...

"Here, brother. I couldn't think of a better flower than this." he smiled sadly as he leaned a red camilia against the grave.

"You're a flame in my heart"

.

.

.

Twelfth candle was lit.

Edward Newgate

"I bet you're gurararing somewhere right now. Still didn't become a pirate king, yeah I know.. But I don't need that title right now, I need to protect this village, you village... It's really nice here by the way.. And the people that live here.."

...

"Thank you for all that you've done for Marco and Ace. I don't know what I would've done without them."

...

"Instead of a boring flower I have something else for you. Shishishi"

"Do you like West-blue saké?"

...

.

.

.

Thirteenth candle was lit.

Sabo

"Y'know... Koala was right about you...you truly were the idiot of all idiots."

...

"Like really... Who dies twice? Only idiots do, ne.. Sabo?"

"This suits you more than magnolia would, right?" Luffy rasped as he presented a primrose to the grave.

"I can't live without you and be free."

.

.

.

...

"But don't worry everyone." Luffy forced a smile on his face even though his tears still didn't stop.

"I have a people around me that care deeply for me. I am glad that they are here. They are like…a third family to me…"

...

"But I am afraid... Afraid of losing the family for the third time. We are group survivors, that lost everything and watched their home and loved ones disappear"

The Black-haired boy bowed his head down and opened a locket that hanged around his neck.

He let local jeweler make it. A golden locket with four photos in it. Him and his crew. Him with ace and him with sabo. Also the group photo of survivors.

There was also a strange symbols on the medailon.

"My treasure" is what would Robin translated it to. It was written in ancient language.

He held it closer to his chest.

He was cold again...

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
...

"I knew you would be here..." a blond man emerged from the shadows.

"Haha, am I that predictable?"

"You are everytime that you feel lonely and you weren't in your bed so... Kinda-yoi"

"Shishishi Marco you're so blunt."

"Yeah whatevs, Giggles. More importantly..." Marco transformed in his half-zoan form. "Care for a late night flight?"

"Always." Luffy smiled and pair of white wings sprouted out of his back.

"First one to touch the clouds is the winner!" Luffy cheered and jumped into the air.

"You cheater!" Marco laughed and went after him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
...

"Luff…I wanted to wait until morning to tell everyone, because we need clear heads for this, but…" Marco grinned and reached behind his back into a black sack on his shoulder. He took out something shiny.

Luffy's eyes bulged out in surprise.

"Guess what I have-yoi"

"No way…" Luffy whispered and hope filled his heart again. "I though that –"

Luffy started to cry again but now with tears of happiness as he hugged Marco.

"Now now, Giggles. You are supposed to laugh, not cry. Or do you want to call you a crybaby?"

"*Sniff-,no.. you jerk…You're the best you know"

"Oh, I know-yoi" as he ruffled his hair "Who else could get their hands on this baby?"

"It has nice golden color, huh? But I bet it tastes awful."

"You bet it does! After all, this is devil fruit! The time time fruit!"


	5. The rebirth of the devil

The darkness fell. Countless nameless stars came out above the cruel world, and pale moon swam calmly through the milky sea of clouds.

It was a chilly night, but the group of people seated around the fire couldn't care less about the cold. They were too restless for that.

All of them were impatient, but another few minutes wouldn't kill them now, right?

They literally trembled in excitement..., and tried not to get overwhelmed by their own emotions.

"Finally, it's time to go back and change our destiny. I really look forward to seeing my wife again. I missed her cooking and loving embraces." Rayleigh said as he observed the red dancing flames with a soft smile and imagined looking into the Shakky's intelligent, yet fierce eyes once again. He really couldn't have found a better woman than her...

He almost broke down that day. The day when he found the Shakky's Rip-off bar destroyed. Every chair and table was busted to pieces, and empty bottles of alcohol rolled on the bloodied floor. Her lifeless body lied on the counter that was littered with glass shards. Her hands were bruised and burnt from cigarette butts.

'Will I really see her again?'

"Don't worry, Ray-san,... I'm sure you'll see her soon enough." Vivi assured him after noticing his obvious distress. "But I must confess, I can't wait to throw myself into the father's arms too. It's just that it has been so long since I've seen him...alive that is."

"Huh? How strange... Somehow I feel like seeing Sabo's idiotic face again. This time I'll make sure he remembers how scary I can get when someone upsets me." Koala snickered to herself as her eyes started glowing with unyielding determination.

"Koala-san, you're face is terrifying right now."

"Oh, sorry Vivi. I didn't mean to scare you hahaha." Koala laughed sheepishly

Perona tuned out their conversation and frowned at the man with bandaged arms and torso.

"Don't tell me you're still burning your wrist and forearms you fire-freak. And what's up with your chest?"

Luffy stopped his intense stare-down with the bonfire and looked at the pink-haired girl.

"He's so fascinated by it. It's almost creepy-yoi."

"You don't say." Law rolled his eyes at Marco.

"That's right, you little arsonist! I'm talking to you, Luffy! I don't want the burnt-out kitchen again!" Perona hollered.

Luffy glanced over to the girl and graced her with his beautiful toothy smile.

"No, not anymore, Rona. I don't need to." he beamed at her and spread his arms. "I have all of you beside me after all."

Others stopped talking to each other at that and paid attention to the smiley bundle of joy.

"You're my family. I love you, I would do anything for you, and I know you feel the same way about me. Your warmth is a lot warmer and comforting than that of a mere fire."

Everyone wordlessly stared at him. The more serious ones of the group blushed and grumbled to themselves.

"Aaawww, You're so cute right now. So much that I want to squeeze you to death." Perona squealed and jumped over to hug the precious boy.

"No shit. I think my heart just melted and I am fricking fire bird-yoi. Don't do that to me, Giggles." Marco huffed in annoyance at his weakness.

"SHADDUP! I'm not cute! I'm a tough man!" Luffy fumed. Sulking, he turned away from them.

"Oh, please. You'll always be a cute little idiot to us, and you know it." Koala purred and fondly ruffled Luffy's hair.

"That's not fair! Carrot's way younger than me!" Luffy pointed on the eating bunny accusingly.

"I sure am, but I don't say sweet things like that, Luffy." Carrot giggled and bit his ear.

"Garchuuu"

"Ouch, let me goooo!"

Rayleigh laughed with Fujitora in the background, and Vivi just observed their assault with the hint of amusement.

"Traffyyy, help meee." Luffy wailed and extended his hand towards the smiling surgeon.

"Hmmm... I guess I could, but somehow I don't want to." Law pondered.

"But I brought you the booooks." Luffy whined while his ear was being chewed on by the bunny, his cheeks being pulled out by Koala, and his lungs were screaming for oxygen thanks to Perona's tight hug.

Law brought a finger to his chin as if he was in deep thought and then whispered with a small grin.

"Room"

And turned his hand in his usual manner.

"Shambles"

He switched Luffy with an empty bottle of rum he had in his lap.

But before Law could set the boy down next to him, Luffy took hold of his torso with his rubbery legs and smiled mischievously.

Law expressed his disapproval by unleashing his famous murderous stare at him.

"Oi, let me go."

"Don't wanna."

"Tch, annoying bastard."

"Shi Shi Shi Shi."

"Haha, th-this boy *cough" Fujitora grinned and continued his game of cards with Rayleigh. By the look of a dark king's face, it was pretty easy to guess who was winning.

Nekomamushi shuffled nearer to the arguing pair of ex-captains.

"So, you-gara are not injured?"the cat asked with curiosity flashing in its eyes.

"Nah. I'm good."

"Then wh-"

"It's because of the tattoos and scars, right Strawhat-ya?"

"Yep" Luffy grinned as he let go of the surgeon and leaned back on his broad chest , which resulted in Law hissing with annoyance.

'This cheeky little thing.'

"Oh! That's right! It would look really strange for him to have it and maybe even caused our secret...getting... out..." Carrot faltered a bit at the thought of possible failure.

"Well, yeah! I don't feel like a six years old kid should have burn scars on his right wrist and tattoos all over his body." Luffy exclaimed as he slid his hand across the wrapped arm and bandaged chest.

.

..

...

"Bald-ossan! " smiling Luffy yelled as he bursted into the salon.

"What do you want, you little devil?" the scowling man, tattoed from the head to toe grumbled, and turned around in his chair.

"I want a tattoo."

"No."

"Pweaaase, bald-ossaaan~" Luffy pleaded on his knees.

"Ugh, you won't leave until you have your way, will you?"

"Nuh-uh"

"As I thought... Come here lil' devil, I have some time right now." the man in his forties sighed and gestured to the leather chair next to him

"Yay! " the boy cheered and ran to sit down before the artist decided otherwise.

"So, what do you want oh brave one?" the man taunted him with a wry smirk, but Luffy had a devilish smirk on his own.

"I want to have this tattoed on my ribs." Luffy said shamelessly as he handed a crumpled paper with some unknown symbols on it.

Man's eyes widened.

"Ancient language? You truly are a devil! Is this bravery or recklessnes?"

"It's guilt... and a reminded." Luffy murmured as his smile twisted into a pained frown.

"It's that I don't forget and break... And I can't break... I mustn't!"

"I see... " the man hummed.

"Anything else?"

"I also want this blue X on my left wrist, and word BLAZE spelled on my fingers of my right hand." Luffy said already grinning again.

"Oh? Like your gloomy friend does? You want to match?" man laughed heartily.

"Yep! But word death is so depressing... I like words like fire, blaze or flame much more!"

"hahaha okay okay you pyromaniac, will that be all?"

"Ah! And also..."

...

"So? What do you think, lil' devil?"

"That. Is. Awesome!" Luffy beamed at the tattoos with stars in his eyes as the man took off the bandages.

"What do you like the most?"

"I guess the whole-arm fire tattoo."

"I also liked that one the best, but oh boy, what a hard work that was... So muc details... By the way what does the ASL stand for?"

"Hm?"

"Y'know, the letters you wanted to have at the back of the right hand, right where the flames start."

"Oh! That is an abbreviation for Ace, Sabo and Luffy. Me and my two brothers!"

...

..

.

"That is... Clever." Vivi said perplexed.

"He actually used his head?!" Perona yelps in surprise.

"Well, we're not here to play games-yoi."

Everyone became more serious and concentrated on the raven-haired boy.

"Yeah, we're going to kick some asses." Luffy said with low dangerous tone that indicated his unbreakable determiantion.

"We're going to totally annihilate those bastards." Perona chimed in, with sinister smirk appearing on her lips.

"Agreed, they messed with wrong people-nyan"

"The true jus... tice will be-befall them."

"Anyway, I think it's time that we started." Luffy smirked with his straw hat shadowing his eyes and stood up.

"From now on, we are not only a family, but an organization, that has many goals, but only one true purpose."

Everyone grinned madly at their new leader.

"To ensure we are the ones to decide our destiny and no one else!"

"YEAH!"

"Now... The serious bussines."

They stilled in their cheers and waited for his next words.

"The codenames... " Luffy stated dramatically.

*SLAP

Everyone facepalmed.

"Really?" Perona deadpanned as Vivi patted her back reassuringly.

"Why did I think he could be serious for more than ten seconds?" Law groaned.

"I knew that he was going to say something stupid." Koala sighed and slopped down against the big cat.

"Nyan Nyan Nyan, don't be so hasty everyone! He has a point."

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Giggles and Nekomamushi here. We won't be always together. We'll need to communicate through den den mushis and as you know they are easily intercepted or eavesdropped on." Marco explained with his usual tired expression.

"What about the white ones?" Carrot asked curiously.

"They're too bi.. g and expe-expensive, it's not wo.. rth it. " Fujitora rasped as Luffy was vigorously nodding in background.

"Ah, okay.. But what ab-!"

"Shush! This is an important ceremony!" Luffy frowned and cleared his throat.

He waited for a minute until the whole group quitened down, then he spoke up.

"As your friend, family member and now your boss, I want to solemnly welcome new-old faces to our group!"

"Andromede" he gestured to Vivi that stood up and shyly bowed.

"Moonstruck" he pointed with his thumb to the purring Nekomamushi

"Nice one, boss-nyan nyan nyan."

Luffy chuckled and gently nudged Law's arm.

"This one's Sinner."

Law grinned darkly and murmured "Oh, I'll enjoy this."

"Ne, Luffy! What si mine, what is mine?" Carrot beamed at the man with straw hat.

"Calm down, Snowdrop.I was just about to introduce you." Luffy smiled and pinched her nose

"Ah jerk!... But I like that name!" she cracked a sweet smile.

Meanwhile Luffy came up to Fujitora that just won against Rayleigh, and told him:

"Just as I expected from the Gambler." then he turned to devasted Rayleigh.

"You curious?"

Rayleigh just lifted his eyebrows at him in amusement.

"Doom"

"Oh, I actually like that... A Doom's day is nearing those who hurt my family. That will be my catch phrase." he glowered.

"H.. Hey, are you in for a another round?" Issho smirked at his friend.

"I'm already broke thanks to you and your damned luck."

"Phantom" Luffy pointed at the ghost girl.

"Horohoro, works for me."

Luffy was about to announce Marco's codename, but phoenix was faster.

"Inferno here! Nice to meet ya."

"You're so mean! I was just about to say it." Luffy huffed and pouted.

Marco chuckled.

"Can't risk that you'll change mine at the last second, because you're still sore about me helping you with the names."

"So you helped him! That explains the good codenames." Koala cackled.

But Marco smirked at her and said: "Yeah, sure. But don't blame this one on me."

"Huh?" Koala breathed out in confusion.

Luffy put a hand on her hat and said "Say hi to Killjoy"

...1

...2

...3

"WAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Horororo!"

"RNYAN-NYAN NYAN~"

"Pffff-"

Everyone busted out laughing like a madman they all were, aside from Koala that was now redder than your average tomato.

"You little sh-" she stood up abruptly and started strangling poor Luffy.

Okay, maybe not that poor.

"That is assault against your boss! " he choked out.

"Oh no, I guess we have a rebelion here, after just a few minutes since creating this organization." Law grinned.

After five minutes of crushing his neck with haki-infused hands, Koala finally released him.

"What is the name of our group anyway?" Vivi tried to change the topic.

"Lotus"

"Lotus?"

"Yeah, Lotus." Luffy looked at her with blank unreadable expression.

"Why?" Vivi inquired.

"...Robin taught me the language and symbolism of flowers when it was only us at the end... And Lotus means rebirth if I'm not wrong... Pretty fitting name for our group. Don't ya think?"

"Yes, indeed it is." Fujitora smiled.

"That sounds so cool, you-tea did awesome job!" Carrot literally shine with respect and adoration.

"Wait.. What is your codename then?" Law pried.

"Ah, me? I'm Mephisto."

Everyone gaped at him.

"Wait, why are you surprised?! I thought you helped him with this!" Perona yelled at confused Marco.

"But I did!... Hey, Giggles! What's up with that? I thought you wanted to be the gorilla-meat king?" Marco asks in disbelief

"I wanted at first but.. I feel like this suits me more..." Luffy smirked mysteriously and said no more than that.

"A devil huh... Yeah it fits you perfectly." Law smirked up at him "Boss..."

"Right?!" he beamed and started happily dancing around them.

"Agh, whatever, ...!" Marco groaned.

"...Does everyone have their notebook with the plan and all the vivre cards-yoi?"

Everyone nodded.

"Now then... Now that we all have those super cool codenames and as a right-hand man of boss of this group I can happily announce... " Luffy smiled at phoenix and continued instead of him "...that operation 'BLOOM' has just started! "

Marco stood up and wrapped his arm around Luffy's shoulders.

"As a your right-hand man, I approve of this name."

"Tsk,you're so obnoxious."

"My my, you're one to talk."

Everyone laughed.

"Good. We are ready to go."

"Vivi? If you please."

"At it Boss!" she giggled and held her head in front of her with palm facing the endless sky above them "I practised hard for two months, so it should be ok." she reassured herself and started concentrating on the flow of time around her.

"Aha! I got it!"

"Toki Toki no Reversion!"

A white barrier surrounded them.

Golden veins started to appear on the walls, pulsating in rapid rythm, snaking its way slowly towards the center of the barrier, to the Vivi.

"You can do it Vivi!"

"Yea, you're awesome!"

"Huh already! She needs to concentrate! Or do you want to end up in dinosaur's stomach?!.." Koala yelled at them.

"It's... hard for her. Not only she needs to get us back in time, but she also using time-space manipulation to get us to Swallow island, which is really advanced technique!"

The veins finally met at the Vivis feet and the barrier broke down.

A white flash of light blinded them and when they blinked away the Shock, they were standing im snowy landscape with nothing more than a summer clothes and white thin cloaks on.

"Brrrr, s-s-s-so c-cold." Luffy managed to bite out despite his teeth clanking together.

"Oh right, I forgot that this was a winter island." Law stared nonchalantly.

Everyone glared daggers at him, except for the two minks, who's fur warmed them.

"Well, it's not like a small cold like this can stop us now! Group A have their task here. Remember not to reveal you identity by any means! Not until we meet Jewerly Bonney, so she turn us to our respective ages! Group B goes with Vivi to take Issho-ossan to the Drum to that old lady, He needs a the best doctor!"

"Aye boss!"

"Roger that!"

"Shi Shi Shi, I am so smart" Luffy laughed at his own greatness.

"Yeah... riiiight, after we literally beaten the knowledge into you head!" Marco huffed at hit his head gently.

"Jerk! You should be glad I am at least going with the plan."

"It's important that we don't screw this up. It's expected of the boss to know the plan and follow it."

Luffy shut up his whining and turned serious.

"Okay... Sorry..." he croaked out.

"Anyway... Snowdrop, Sinner and Phantom with me!"

"Hai!" Carrot and Perona cheered.

"Aye aye... Boss." Law mumbled and looked around in hope to see his friend again.

They pulled up their hoods and took off.  
............................................................................................

"I SEE TH-" Luffy shouted in surprise, but was muffled by Law's s cold hand.

"Shut it, you dumbass!" he hissed and glared at him.

"Sorry" Luffy lifted his hand in front of his face.

"Guys, look. He's already pretty beaten up." Carrot whispered.

"L-l-look at all of that blood... "Perona stuttered out." Are we too late? "

"No, we're not. Now shush, we all know what to do, so just listen and do as you were told." Law cut her off.

"Oh.. Okay."

...

"He was doomed to die in three years... But he got over it" man with blond hair and pained face rasped as he slowly stood up and aimed the gun at his brother.

Law's eyes watered.

'It's really you... Cora-san! Wait just a bit more, we're here to save you!'

"He's no the same Law... who lost track of himself and came to visit a crazy pirate that day."

The tension in the air was unbearable and snow was slowly falling around the two siblings.

"There is nothing he can gain from you since you're like a child of destruction! Leave him alone now! He is free!" Corazon screamed at his brother eith the gun still locked on Doflamingo.

"Room" Law whispered and light blue barrier enveloped the close vicinity. Miraculously, Doflamingo didn't seem to notice as he was in state of extreme rage after being betrayed by his own brother and had those red-tinted sun glasses. Sucks to be him I guess.

Doflamingo scowl deepened.

"Doppleganger hollow" Perona whispered into the wind.

The head of Donquixote family pulled the trigger and first shot went through Corazon's shoulder.

Corazon fell to the ground and slumped against the chest as Doflamingo shot three more bullets towards him...

...

Corazon's body is cold, lifless,...moveless.

Doflamingo turned around and went away towards the harbor.

...

After a few minutes 'Corazon's' corpse dissolved into a few small ghosts.

"... we did it?" Carrot asked in disbelief.

"Yahoo, you bet we did!" Luffy called out.

"I still need to heal that one shot and bruises he got before we arrived... But he's safe now" Law smiled at the man in his arms.

Law took Corazon's hand as the man stared at him in awe and hint of fear.

"Wh-who are you?... I think I know y-you from some where..."

"Shh, we're here to help. Sleep for a bit and then we'll answer to your questions." Carrot smiled sweetly... But Corazon was still nervous and suspicious of the strangers... He didn't say a word about the child in the chest, in fear that this was a trap.

His body was really tense and blood was still gushing out of his wounds.

Law squeezed his hand.

"it's okay Cora-san, I am here... "

Corazon's tired eyes widened in surprise.

"L.. La-" he lost the fight with his exhausted body and fell into unconsciousness.

"Well, that went awfully well."

"Yea, for a minute there, I thought Doffy will notice that his other shots passed through the body." Perona quivered in fear.

"Nah, he was too blinded by anger for that... That Mingo is so dumb. Shi Shi shi"

"Let's take him and wait for Vivi and other group to arrive."

"Welcome to the gang, Taciturn."


	6. Don't let death spoil your appetite!

Sometimes he wondered how cold it had to get for him to discard those cheap yet comfortable sandals. Nami and Sanji always urged him to wear something warmer. Oh, how much he missed the nagging of the bossy navigator and violent cook.

He felt his golden locket between his fingers and rubbed his thumb across the engraved words. The locket was warm as if radiating all the love of his friends.

'Don't worry guys, I'll see you soon.'

He smiled softly while longingly watching falling snowflakes that were colored pink by sunset and put the jewel back behind his cloak.

He tried to wiggle his toes.

Yeah, as he thought, there's no way he'll be able to move them anytime soon.

They were totally numb from the extreme cold.

They just had to go from one winter island to another one, hadn't they?

But, oh well, he loves snow, so aside from his frozen feet, he couldn't really complain about anything.

The dazzling whiteness of the snow and its cold yet somehow calming texture reminded him of good old days, when he was still just a little naive kid running around on the mountain Corvo, not caring about a damn thing. All that existed were his brothers and meat. Nothing else mattered. Oh yeah, bandits, Makino and grandpa too. His most favorite things to do in winter would be cuddling for warmth late in the night, building snowmen, eating stolen vanilla ice cream despite the cold weather, and then suffering horrible brain freeze and morning snowball wars. Or just watching the snow fall down. Even that was enchanting to him.

He always liked the snow, but he really became fascinated by it only after listening to Sabo's story.

Sabo told him about how each snowflake represented a one deceased person's happy memory, how all were unique and perfect in their own way and yet fleeting and easily forgotten by us, the living. About how those who are left behind tend to ignore them and concentrate more on the pain from the loss. About how the dead send snow down to us, so that their precious memories don't fade from our minds, reminding us that there is still much more to experience and live for even without them and that they will always watch over us.

Luffy really loved the idea and wondered if he could make enough happy memories in his life, that he would be able to cover the whole sky in them once he was dead.

When Sabo was murderer or at least presumed, Luffy would always impatiently wait for winter. He would catch as many snowflakes as he could, just so he could recall all the things he went through with the young noble. It soothed his mind, and he could smile again, forgetting the painful stinging in his chest.

It went same after Ace's death. When he was training on Ruskania, due to its unpredictable weather, it was snowing quite regularly. And when it did, he would reminisce about their warm smiles, imagining their voice calling out to him and their hands ruffling his wild hair.

But as the time flew, he got more and more people to think about, and the snow had slowly lost its desired effect. Only fire could stop his grief.

He couldn't stop himself, it was the only thing that calmed him, he wouldn't stop doing it, even if it meant to burn holes into his wrists.

He quickly dismissed the urge to go buy another lighter and stepped into the tavern.

The clinking of glasses overflowing with atrociously strong alcohol, loud banter, and joyful laugh of drunks filled the place. A fat innkeeper was running all around the pub, trying to satisfy his guests and get as much money out of them as possible. The poor man was covered in sweat from all that exercise.

Luffy watched the singing drunkards with suppressed glee as he walked towards the table in a far left corner of the establishment, where others were already waiting for him.

"Now don't be so glum,

cheer and sing~!

All it takes is one glass of rum,

don't wait and drink~!"

"Here, take a swig of gin~!

Of that fine beverage~!

Then the party's gonna begin,

y'know our thirst's not average~!"

"Here's only alcohol, nothing else,

so go buy your cakes to totto land~!

Rum, vodka or gin is what here sells,

And their taste is of nothing bland~!"

"Quit your fuss~!

Taste the true freedom~!

C'mon drink with us,

in this freezing hole named Sorbet Kingdom~!"

The pungent alcoholic smell mixed well with the evocative savory aroma of freshly cooked meat. A sense of nostalgia hit Luffy as he slid into his seat. He beamed at his other three companions, who lowered their hoods as to hide their eyes from his contagious smile.

Although they stuck out like a sore thumb in their white cloaks in the cheerful pub, no one of the guests particularly cared about them and rather enjoyed the wild ride that the night was to become.

"I already ordered your favourite, Giggles" Marco smiled as he moved the plate across the table towards Luffy with deliciously juicy steak.

"Thanks! You're the best!" Luffy cheered as he took the first bite and was blown away by its rich flavour.

"Man, this is so good! I didn't have something so yummy for years!"

"That's great, Luff~" Koala chuckled and leaned her head on her palm as she fondly watched the rubbery glutton wolf down steak after steak.

*CRASH

A band of shady man barged into the bar, smashing the door in the process and so allowing the cold evening wind to enter the tavern.

The singing and cheers stopped. Every boozer there sobered up suddenly and slowly started creeping towards the exit, fear evident in their wide eyes.

When the place emptied out, only the men, shaking innkeeper, and Luffy's group were left.

"Hooo~? What's up with those guys?" said the man in front of the group.

'That's probably the leader' Koala thought, but ignored the men anyway.

"It looks like some kind of creepy cult came to our city, Jarod-san."

Carrot tightened her grip on the glass of Apple-carrot juice, but kept her mouth shut.

'They don't know who are they dealing with. They better shut up, or I will tear them apart for disturbing our fun time.'

" Hmm~? Then let's go say hi to them!" Jarod exclaimed as his lips broke into sinister smile that promised nothing good.

He walked over to their table and slapped his right hand down on the scratched wood.

"So, you're new here?" he said almost friendly, but his question was met only with cold silence.

"You must be travelers! Welcome to our humble city. Ooh, what do we have here?!" he smirked as he grabbed Luffy's drink and gulped the whole glass down.

"Haaa, same as I remember... Oi Grimm!" he shouted at the scared innkeeper as he rubbed off residual alcohol around his mouth.

"Y-yes sir? How ca-ca-caan I help you" the fat man stuttered out while wiping clean the glasses at the counter.

"Who served this alcohol? I want to thank them."

Grimm paled slightly and gestured to the trembling woman right next to him. The woman looked like she was about to cry, but still mustered up her courage and went over to the leader of the group.

"Hmm no wonder it tasted like it tasted if it was served by such a babe." Jarod leered at her and in one swift motion pulled out a gun and pointed it at her head.

"So yeah, thanks for ruining my evening, babe. It tasted shitty as always!" he laughed evilly.

The group of cloaked people didn't even flinch, even though everyone of them were biting down hard on their lower lip, they didn't move a muscle.

No they can't do anything yet, not until the group openly tries to assault them. They can't out themselves, not yet.

It was hardest for Luffy. Normally he would be already throwing punches left and right, but he learned from his previous experiences. Things don't always goes his way, even though he want them to. He can't risk everything for one woman... Or can he?

Jarod pulled the trigger, but before the bullets could hit the woman's forhead, Luffy threw a knife into the bullets trajectory and the projectile collied with it instead.

"Sorry, but we're eating here and death would only spoil our appetite-yoi." Marco smiled fakely kindly, but inwards was screaming all kinds of profanities ať the disgusting man.

"Oh, my bad. Excuse my rude behavioir." Jarod grinned and took a chicken leg right from Luffy's plate.

"Hmm. Spicyyy. At least food is good here." the man said as he ate. "Oh look at ya, you look like a cute one! Let's see what is hiding behind that hood!"

The group at the table froze as Jarod lifted his hand to tear down Koala's hood, but was stopped by three loud slaps to forehead.

"He's dead-yoi."

"How stupid is he?"

"He's gonna whoop his ass likeeee right now."

The man paused.

"What the fuck are you talking ab-" Jarod snapped at them in confusion, but wasn't able to finish his question because of haki-infused fist crushing his jaw and sending him across the room, slamming into the wall with a loud crash.

"I don't care if you take my alcohol, pour it on me and laugh, but If you take my meat and try to touch even a strand of hair on my friends, I will kick your ass!" Luffy yelled and in one move ate the remaining meat.

"Jarod-saaan!" the men screamed in terror and ran to help their leader out of the debris.

"Aaagggh, geff tffem!" Jarod barked at his lackies, who frowned and ran onto still sitting group.

Luffy and others stood up, already readying themselves for a quick battle.

*THUMP

"Stop it ya idiots!" a woman with a pink hair yelled as she kicked the men back to the damaged wall.

"Bo-boss!"

"I respect men that can defend their meal. I like this fellow, let them be and bring me my dinner, bastards!"

"A-aye!" men stood up and went to the kitchen to yell at the cook to prepare the food.

"I think we found her" Carrot whispered to Koala.

Not even five minutes later a five trays of food were taken out of the kitchen. The woman smirked hungrily and immediately started devouring meal after meal.

"Yeah, by the way she's eating there's no mistake it's her." Koala gasped at the speed the food was disappearing from the plates.

'Holy cow, her speed can rival that of Luffy's'

"Hey, will you help us?" Luffy blurted out and confidently strided towards the female glutton.

"Hrrmm *burp mmm?! You dare to interupt my meal?! Tsk, fuck off kid, or I'll tell my men to finish their job!" Jewerly Bonney scoffed at the determined idiot before her and went back to stuffing her mouth with pizza.

"As if they could beat us... But hey what about eating contest then? You win, we let you be and the whole meal will be on me, or I win and you'll help us." Luffy laughed and offered his hand to her.

"Mrrf-? *gulp now that sounds like a fun. You sure you are up to it? There's no way you'll beat me and the whole meal will be really pricey. Are you just cocky bastard or a true eater like me?" Bonney taunted strawhat with mischievous smirk.

"Well, let's find out" he smirked too.

"Haha that's the attitude I like, you are on pipsqueak!" she sniggered and shook his hand in agreement.  
............................................................................................

"Do you see that?! They are still going at it!"

" How long is it now? Two hours?! "

"Is this even humanly possible?"

"I know our boss can eat, but that guy is not half bad either, maybe even better!"

"The cooks can't keep up with their insane tempo."

The men questioned the bizarre situation before them.

"Go, boss!" some cheered, already accustomed the strange sight of two captains stuffing their bellies with all kinds of junk food.

"Oh, oh, look look... Oh no... It looks like this the last one... The chocolate cake"

Two cooks brought out two gigantic chocolate cakes that threateningly towered over both eaters.

But they didn't let themselves get overwhelmed. Both of their eyes lit up with determination as they took their first bite.

"I forgot to say that this is 90% chocolate so it's really... Heavy on stomach." the chef tried to stiffle his giggles.

Gluttons turned green and tried hard not to heave out all they ate in last two hours.

"Come on, Giggles! You can do it! Don't tell me you're already full!" Marco encouraged his little black hole of a boss.

"Yeah! Don't tell me you forgot about that one time you ate those five sea kings entirely alone!" Koala chimed in with her cheers.

"Go Lu! Goo!" Carrot yelled with her thumbs up.

That seemed to make Luffy miraculously hungry as he started eating again with a scowl on his face.

"Blegh, it's so bitter *burp"

"I ain't going down that easily pipsqeak!" Bonney shouted at her rival and followed his example.  
............................................................................................

"And we have our winner! The mysterious monster eater - - - - ehm what's your name again?" the main chef exclaimed as he threw questioning look to the hooded man.

"Doesn't matter, just call him Mephisto." Koala giggled and high-fived Carrot.

"Yahoo! I am *BURP the winner! " Luffy cheered as he flomped down with his bulged out stomach.

"Tsk, okay your the real deal buddy. But next time the victory is mine!" Bonney grinned as she straightened her green hat.

Luffy jumped up, already thin again as if he didn't just eat meal that could feed the small village and smiled at the future captain.

"I am so glad to finally find my rival. It was my pleasure, Mephisto... How omnious name. .. Nah, pipsqueak suits you better. "Bonney sniggered as they clamped their hands together.

"You take words right out of my mouth Bonnie! Wait! A pipsqueak?! " Luffy bellowed.

"Now that's a start of weird rivarly right there-yoi" Marco remarked with a lazy smile.

"Meh, I saw weirder." Koala dissmised him with a sweet giggle.

"How the hell did he do that!" shocked men and cooks exclaimed

"Ah that's normal." Carrot answered while taking her last bite of carrot pie.

"Normal?!"

"Aaaanyway, you'll help us now right?!" Luffy gushed in excitement.

"Yea, yeah sure, this glutton never goes back on her word." Bonney smirked as she patted her stuffed belly. "So what do you want from me? I don't remember having anything of worth."

"Let's go take this to another location... It's kinda touchy subject."

"Fine by me. Lead the way folks."  
............................................................................................

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?"

"He should any minute now."

...

Corazon's eyes fluttered open. Cold wind brushed against his cheeks like whiskers of a cuddly little kitten. He felt his hand grab something cold and... Icy... Snow? Was he still on Swallow island? His mind was a surging perplexity.

"Wha-..."

He sat up abruptly, but a sharp pain went through his shoulder. He staggered, but before he could fall back to freezing ground, strong arms caught him.

"Ouch,.. Where...huh?" he mumbled and looked at the stranger's face.

"Whoa, whoa who the frick are you?!" he yelled in surprise as he backed away from the unknown man that helped him.

Despite the pain level rising, he shuffled more into the shadows of the alley. Then he finally noticed other people around him.

One, two... six people in total. Two of them were playing cards at the back, ignoring others.

If they're enemies, then he has zero chance of escape. At least in these circumstances. He's cornered, outnumbered and hurt. What a lovely day this is.

"Easy there Cora-san, you're still severly injured"

"...injured? Oh. You... Are the people that saved me. Thank you, but.. Who are you?" he asked and tension in his shoulders lessened a little."You aren't Doffy's companions are you..." he whispered, still suspicious of the new faces.

"No no no, we are not Rosinante-san, we... How should we begin even?" Vivi tried to reassure him but instead became even more flustered than him.

"... And where is... No nevermind... I can't trust you." Corazon looked away and tried to find an escape route if needed.

"You-gara mean Law-rnyan? You don't need worry, he is okay Nyan Nyan Nyan."

"Shh you big fluff ball, do you know how suspicious we look like now?!" Perona scolded the gigantic cat. Nekomamushi's ears went down and whined pitifuly at the harsh tone of ghost girl.

"Stop acting cute, dammit!"

"Rnyan?" Nekomamushi questiongly meowed with sparkling eyes and paws against his cheeks.

"... Umm okay I forgive you! But only because you're so adorable right now." Perona huffed, slumped against his warm smooth like velvet fur and started stroking it in circular motion.

*Purrrrrrrr

Corazon just watched incredulously the two strange beings cuddling before shaking his head.

" WHAT DID YOU DO TO LAW?!" he shouted and gripped his shoulder as to numb the pain.

"We didn't do anything!" Vivi defended them and was about to explain, but Law stopped her.

"Quiet! I'll take it from here Vivi-ya... Let me tell you a short story Cora-san..."

Corazon went silent. Well, if there is no escape, at least he can hear them out. He is a good listener after all.

"There was a boy with incurable disease that lost his entire family, friends... He didn't know where to go... Only thing he knew was that he hated everyone and everything and wanted a revenge... He wanted to kill as many people as possible. It didn't matter to him if they were innocent or not. He was just thirsty for blood... He seeked out a dangerous group and after many fails he eventually joined. But there was this one man that kicked him, beat him just to get him out of the group. The boy absolutely detested him, but one day he opened the boy's eyes with his bright smile, clumsy antics and kind heart... He risked his life for him... No.. He lost his life for him... The kid cried and mourned the death of a kind man for many years, but there was something else that his death gave to the kid... A goal... A goal that the man couldn't accomplish because of the boy... After many years of hard work, when he became a pirate captain with good crew and reputation, he started his plan. He really planned out everything, it was perfect...but he was still afraid, couldn't sleep...What if he failed? Was it all for nothing?... He met a fellow captain that stood out... He saved his life and after two years they became allies... And they did it... They took down the man the boy hated so much. His ally made it possible... He couldn't be more grateful for what he did... But then, things changed.. They bit off more than they could chew... From then on things went to shit... The boy lost his entire crew... And was left alone... The world just seemed so... Dark, meaningless.. He already succeeded so why not just... end it already? What's more there for him? He should've already been dead many years ago anyway... But his ally... No... His friend sought him out.. He too lost everything... And he offered him his hand... He was about to break, just like the boy... So he took his hand... So neither of them had to break... The group of survivors expanded by each second. Their only goal was to find a way to redo things... They found it and they are about to get back at those who made them suffer... They are about to protect their loved ones this time around and make their true destiny... They are going to decide for themselves... " Law mumbled and somehow couldn't look Corazon in the eye.

Corazon listened carefully and at the end his eyes were bulging out and jaw dropping down.

"Cora-san... Do you believe in time travel? " Law yelped out, already with watery eyes and sniffling. He pulled his hood down and smiled at the man that gave him another chance to live.

Corazon's eyes watered too. He opened his arms and came charging onto poor Law.

"Uff" Law sighed out as the man's body collied with his.

"So that's why you were calling me that." Corazon blurted out while shaking from excitement and pure joy.

Law put his arms around Corazon's torso and returned the hug.

"Hahahaaha." surgeon heartily laughed with true happiness for the first time in years... Only Rosinante and Luffy were able to instill this warm bursting feeling in his chest.

"I do too Cora-san."

"What?"

"That's the answer to your statement from before you closed the chest."

"Ah."

"You dont even know how much I wanted to say this one thing to you."

"Oh... Laaaaaaaaaaaaw" Corazon hugged the grumpy yet emotional surgeon again while crying comically.

"I became father today. Your mother would be so proud of you." Rosinante sniffled as he flicked away one stray tear from his eye.

"S-stop it Cora-san! And what mother?!" Law yelled with shark teeth at him while blushing so hard he could be mistaken for fire hydrant. A very tall one. But still fire hydrant.

"And stop squeezing me so much, you're still injured, you idiot." Law scolded him and slapped him across his head

"*sniff sniff I smell smoke rnyan."

"Ah. And here we go again. Cora-san you are on fire" Law deadpanned.

"Huh what are you sayi-holy shit I am on fire!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? I really appreciate your comments and thoughts on each chapter and it motivates mě to improve and write more and more. Thank you for giving chance this story and I'll see you again next time!
> 
> Kalon Thorn~


	7. Help us

"Are we there yet? I have still some pizza to eat y'know." Bonney grumbled with her scarlet lower lip sticking out as she kicked off a small stone out of the way.

"Just a bit more, about five more minutes or so-yoi."

*GROOOOWL

Koala almost tripped at the sudden monstrous sound but was luckily saved by Marco's quick reflexes.

"Watch out-yoi."

"Oh th-thanks, sorry." Koala smiled shyly at her companion, but in her mind, she screamed.

'The fuck?! That actually scared me. Does she have a starved sea king inside her stomach or what?!'

Glutton's happy demeanor from a few minutes ago changed drastically. Her face twisted into an annoyed scowl and her violet eyes literally screamed 'Try me bitch and I'll eat your face'.  
But that wasn't all there was to it. Luffy noticed another, less... spottable things. They were subtle, but rather obvious to him.

He was always pretty good at reading people, and the last five years of the experience just strengthened this ability.

Most of people are like open books. Their eyes, voice, posture and gestures can tell you a lot about them and their feelings. Foot tapping, almost unnoticeable hitch in their voice, quick unnecessary blinking... All of these actions are important sources of information. And yet, there are those who are different... They seem like an open book, but its pages are blank, without any text whatsoever.

They're look like they're genuine, but...

... they are not.

All them knew that fact really well. Marco especially.

These individuals are the most dangerous ones. And It seems that Bonney was certainly not a one of them. She clearly didn't have much control over her emotions.

Her voice sharpened, and her eyes ticked from corner to corner, watching out for a possible danger emerging from the shadows. She was clearly getting suspicious of them. Well, who can blame her? They were clearly leading her to one of the most darkest, the most deserted alleys in the whole city. Who wouldn't be suspicious?  
............................................................................................

"AAAAAAAAH!"

A high-pitched scream cut through the tense silence and frozen each person in the group.

"Be cautious." Luffy hissed behind his teeth as he narrowed his dark brown eyes.

Now is not the time to play around.

Five years ago, he would've simply run in the direction of the scream, not caring about anything else but discovering the source. However, he wasn't like that anymore.

They carefully sneaked around the last corner.

They were prepared to fight,... but they certainly weren't prepare for...this.

Their jaws dropped down to the ground at the sight before them.

A burning man. A fricking burning man was rolling in the snow, trying to extinguish himself.

Law just stood there, bent over, laughing his ass off and banging on the cold brick wall next to him.

More father in the back, there were Issho and Rayleigh, passionately playing cards and ignoring everything around them...

...like for example the loud purring of a giant cat with horohorohoroing girl rubbing its belly lovingly.

Vivi stood there, in the centre of the chaos with a fake smile, twiching right eye and clenched trembling fists. Her smile widened when she saw the arriving group.

"Hi! You must be Jewerly Bonney! Nice to meet you." Vivi beamed as she offered her hand to the flabbergasted woman, who broke into a contagious fit of laughter.

"Nice to meet ya too, girlie! Wahaha oooh man. Pipsqueak, your friends are so damn funny wahaha." she snickered and gave Vivi a firm handshake.

The fire was finally put out, and the scorched man sighed out in relief. His feather cloak was a bit charred. Luffy stepped towards Law that had yet to compose himself and grinned at him.

"Yo, you told him everything?"

"Pff-haha y-yeah. W-wait a sec." Law cleared his throat and deeply exhaled.

"Haaa, okay I am good now...Ah, I told him all he needs to know for now, details will have to come later."

"Good" Luffy nodded in approval and crouched down to corazon's eye level.

"Hi! I am Mo-"

*BONK

"SHHHHH! Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Did you forget she was here too?!" Koala snapped at him and pointed with towards Bonney.

"Ouch, that hurt you jerk!... Hey, it doesn't matter anymore. She is our ally now, isn't that right Bunnie?"

"Well, firstly my name's Bonney not Bonnie or Bunnie like some fucking bunny and secondly, I don't remember you being my ally pipsqueak, rival maybe but the only thing I agreed to was doing you guys a favour." she huffed "And I still don't know who you guys even are, so If you want something from me then reveal your faces or the deal is off!"

'Why is she calling me a pipsqueak? I am taller than her. Ah! She must be dumb'

"What?! We can't do that!" Koala retorted angrily.

"Okay." Luffy said as took his hood off, revealing his unruly raven locks decorated with a few stray glimmering snowflakes.

"What are you doing?! Do you want to screw the whole mission up?! Do you even remember how much time it took to plan i-" Koala bellowed, boiling with fury and just about to strangle her boss.

"I know, but she is the only person who can help us right now and we need her to trust us." Luffy grounded Koala by his comment and she finally shut her mouth close.

'I-I know he is right. I would entrust my life to Luffy... He cheered me up and showed me a path to hope again... but... I' m just so scared we'll fail again...'

"I'm *hic sorry Lu... I'm j-just...*hic." Koala sobbed as she rubbed her eyes. This was all really hard and emotionally heavy for them. The desire to see their dead friends and families, the excitement from new adventures... and the fear of failure...

'Screw celestial dragons! The thing I fear the most is losing them!'

Luffy's eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his be loved strawhat that he out on again.

He came up to Koala and...

...pulled her into his arms.

"I know. We all are. But hey, if we don't take any risks, we can't move forward. And... You believe in me... right?" the boy murmured in a low voice and granted her another of his blinding smiles.

"Un." Koala said with a soft smile as her tears were being rubbed away by Luffy's sleeve.

"Yosh! Come on! Everyone take you hood off."

Koala felt a warm rough hand land on her shoulder. She turned her head around and faced Marco's comforting kind smile.

"Don't worry. He knows what he is doing and... y'know... I agree with him. She might become one of our greatest allies in the future."

Others came forward and also put their hoods down.

Bonney's eyes widened at the sight of few rather familiar faces.

"Rayleigh the dark king... Fujitora... Marco the phoenix... What the hell is going on?!" she yelled in distress. What was this all about? A sick joke? A weird cult? Or... Was she dreaming?

'Anyway, this doesn't look good.'

"Is this some kind of trap?! What do you want from me?!"

"Calm down... It's nothing like that. Let me explain." Marco sighed tiredly at the unnecessary hassle.  
............................................................................................

".. And this is our boss M-"

"The name's Monkey D. Luffy, the man who is going to become the king of the pirates and rewrite his destiny, what's up? And yeah, we really traveled in time, isn't that cool? shishishi. " he laughed as if he just told the joke of his life, which to Bonney it really sounded like.

"Are you serious? " Bonney gaped at them.

"Yep" Luffy said unblinking, and laughed again

"It seems crazy horohoro."

'These people are either crazy or this is some kind of sick ploy to captured me.'

"Oi, Vivi! Do you still have energy for another few jumps?"

"Yeah, but after that I won't be able to use it for a long time and to tell the truth... I'm exhausted. I can't wait to get back to Alabasta and to the palace." Vivi placed a palm to her forehead and sighed.

"Oh, that's right you will become princess again! Can we have another banquet when me and my crew visit?" Luffy blurted out in excitement and started drooling.

"Of course. That was decided from the start."Vivi chuckled and ruffled his raven hair.

'Yeah definitely crazy alright. I'll play my role for now and see where this goes.'

"Okay, let's say I believe your insane story,...but what do you want from me? Spill it."

"We need your devil fruit ability... To turn us to ages we would be at this time." Perona explained slowly, trying to read Bonney's face for any indicators of anger...

... Instead of anger... She found a...

...FEAR

"H-huh but i don't have such ability? What kind-d of bullshit are you trying to pull?! Take your time travelling shit and fuck off from my town you weirdos! Don't brother me again, you hear me?!" She bellowed and sharply turned around, trying to escape.

"Wait! We really need your help! We can't do this without you!" Vivi shouted desperatly, already on the verge of crying.

"Now don't be so hasty to go... Connie the queen of Sorbet kingdom." a ragged voice rumbled through the air.

Bonney stopped abruptly in her track but didn't turn around.

"Where did you hear this shit?" she whispered threateningly with a dark unpenetrable aura surrounding her.

It became even colder than it already was.

"As we said... We are from future... and we need you to turn us younger or we won't be able to achieve our goal... By the way... how's Kuma? Already in revolution army?" Rayleigh provoke her with a rowdy smile on his face.

"Tsk... Grr...you even know about him, huh... And why should I help you,... you little kids don't know anything about time and how dangerous playing with it might be." she hissed in disgust "Trust me I have an experience..."

Everyone undestood what she implied and didn't asked any further. That would be just too cruel.

"How old are you?"

Well, maybe except that rubber goof.

"You idiot! You don't ask lady that! an-and after what she said!" Vivi shouted.

"I am exactly 753 years old, but my body is currently 25 and my alterego of queen Connie is 87... I have seen some things kid and I know a lot... And yet, I still can't die even if I don't manipulate my age... It's a curse, pipsqueak... An unbreakable one..." Bonney answered him with hint of deep pain in her voice as she stepped closer to Luffy who had that unreadable expression on him.

"Cease this. Don't play with time and go home. It will bring less suffering. To you and your friends." she tried persuading him while sqeezing both of his shoulders.

"No. We are going to do this. We can't let it happen like this... Not only our loved ones,.. But the whole world will suffer if we don't do anything!" Luffy said in serious tone, raw determination burning in his eyes. "Don't worry. It'll work out somehow. We're strong shishishishsi."

Bonney stood there dumbfounded.

'Just who is this man? How can be so confident even after failing?!'

"Tell me more... About the situation of the world in your time... Maybe then I'll agree..." she said twirling her hair around her finger nervously with a small pouť.

"Why should we explain ourselves to you? Don't waste our time. Will you help us or not?" Law sneered impatiently.

"Shut up nerd and your nasty mouth!" Koala slapped his arm "Excuse this bastard he still didn't have his coffe today."

"And neither have you it seems" Law frowned as he rubbed his forearm.

"Law-San! Koala-san!...ugh...Don't mind them please... Please lady Connie! ...Lend us your help! We can't stop here, there are...

... milions of lives at risk... W-we can save them!" Vivi exclaimed, resolved to go through hell again if it meant to help her people and friends.

"Alright, alright...I'm listening."

" I see...I'll do it." Bonney showed them a small sad smile.

"Really?! That's great! Thank you Bonney!" Luffy beamed with happiness and hug the started woman.

"Sure sure, just get off me...I have a flavour too then..."

"What is it?" Law wondered out-loud, though he didn't mean to.

"Don't let government take my son away... Please..."

"Of course. We already own him a big favour, so we already planned to rescue him." Luffy giggled. "Kuma's also one of my brother's nakama. I can't let him die."

"Thank you." Pink-haired woman said gratefully as few tears picked ať the corner of her eyes.

"Okay then! Tell me the ages and consider it done!"

"Excuse me, before we start... I want to a dress some minor problems." Vivi hesitated.

"Carrot is four years younger than Luffy and we are in time when he was 6 years old and that means... That she is only two years old! Is that even okay?!"

"Nyan ah yes that."

"I take it that you already have a solution in mind Neko-san?"

"Yeah rnyan, she wasn't born on Zou to begin with so she doesn't have parents there, I believe it was Pedro that found her in the Grand Line and took her with him... I thought it would be good if you-gara make yourself same age as Luffy, 6 years old that is, and train under Pedro again, I'll tell them that I found you on my journey and when the Pedro brings the small you, we just get rid of it... Smart, eh nyan? "

" What do you mean get rid of the original one?!" Bonney thundered, but as she was about to go off again, Fujitora stopped her.

"Calm down miss, he just worded it badly. When miss Vivi experimentem with her devil fruit she found out a very curious detail about time travelling, isn't that right?"

"Ah yes. I discovered that when I was travelling into the future, my body disappeared from that time and reappeared in the time I was travelling to, but as for travelling to past... I climbed a hill and then traveled a few minutes back just to find myself looking at the past me climbing the same hill... When I touches it, it dissolved into the air... My theory is that once we, travelers touch our past selves, they become but a memory of us being there and they cease to exist in that time. They'll exist only in our memories and nowhere else. It's not like we are killing them, because they didn't really exist to begin with."

'I don't get it... Hmmm... It's a mystery memory thing'

"Oh, I see... I almost jumped into conclusion there." Bonney coyly apologized.

"That is great plan Nekomamushi-sama! This will be fun!" Carrot cheered. "But hey, your past self was away from home too in this time? Just like Pedro was? Why weren't you together?"

"Rnyay, now it's not the time for this... We just have to find the past me before it returns to Zunisha nyan." giant cat dismissed her previous question with a giant grin and kept on puffing from his pipe.

"Now onto the other problem... " she looked at silent Corazon, who was carefully observing the whole thing.

Her gaze startled him.

"What? Me? What did I do? I swear that fire thing won't happen again!"

"A god damn liar." Law whispered but nobody heard him.

" You can't stay looking like that... " Vivi said with a disapproving look.

"What is wrong with my face?!"

"Maybe the fact that it should be burried few feet underground in a graveyard? You should are 'dead' you know." Law snickered and swung an arm around Rosinante's shoulders."If someone who knows you recognizes you, then we will have whole Navy and Donquixote family on our tails in few hours."

"Ah... That's right. I forgot."

"Who forgets their own death?!" others screamed with shark teeth at the shy ex-spy as Law laughed.

"So I need some kind of disguise?" Corazon pondered as someone sneaked up on him and grabbed a strand of his hair.

"I'll take the job!" Perona exclaimed as her eyes literally shone with excitement.

"I already can imagine it! Hmm hmm blue hair, black face mask with white x hmmm this is gonna be so much fun!"

'Perhaps I should be worried?' was Corazon's last thought before Perona dragged him away.  
............................................................................................

"Okay, now that you finally stopped playing dress-up the klutz, let's start the de-aging." Bonney grumbled, bored of her mind.

"Right." Marco agreed and took out his leather journal." Let's start with Koala. She would be ten years old, just around the time Sun pirates found her."

"Age alteration!"

A light pink light engulfed Koala and her body shrunk.

"Then there's Luffy and Carrot, make them six years old."

"Age alteration!"

"Nekomamushi... I know how much you wanted to go further into the past, exactly seven years more, so we could rescue Oden... But... Vivi just doesn't have that much energy... I'm sorry..."

"Rnyan Rnyan, what are you saying? What happened is a ancient history, now let's concentrate on bringing our enemies down and protect our friends." Nekomamushi smiled warmly and shrugged off Marco's concern with his robotic paw.

"Okay, so Nekomamushi will become 27 again."

"Age alteration!"

"Now who else do we have here... Ah! Issho in this time is 41 and Rayleigh is 65...hmm let's make you ten years younger... So 55 yoi!"

"Ohohoho My back won't be killing me again for a while!" Rayleigh bursted out laughing, clutching his head.

"Age alteration!"

"Vivi? You'll be only five years old and Perona... Aw c'mon there is no way you're that young-yoi." Marco sighed in annoyance as he shoved the journal up to her face.

"Haaah, you're saying I'm old or what?! "Perona barked.

"Rona." Luffy pressed her for answer.

"Tsk, fiiine I would be 12 by now, not 7..."she clicked her tongue and pouted.

"Age alteration!"

"Law's one year older than Perona, so 13 and I'll be 32."

"Age alteration!"

"And what about Cora-san?" Law inquired. "What about making him younger so he is even more unrecognizable?"

"You've got some good thinking right there." Bonney pointed out with a grin.

"Thanks." Law smirked.

"Okay, what about 18 years old? He would appear young, but would be already an adult... What do you say Rosinante-San?" Vivi offered her suggestion with a light clap.

"Yeah sure why not. I don't see any problém with it." Corazon smiled and lighted a cigarette that Law gave him."Gah, wait! I'll be dad in 18!That's too young!"

"Age alteration!"

"Aw, shucks."

...

"You were adorable, Giggles." Marco grinned down on the little boy running around like a madman.

"Shut up I am not cute!" Luffy yelled and kicked his Shin.

"Shit taht hurt! You little-!"

"Yes you are Luffy-ya. Deal with it and let me hug you." Law neared him with open arms and dark look on his face. Were those stars in his eyes?!

"Me too! I have weaknesses for cute things!" Perona squealed as she chased him too.

"Unhand me you bastards!" Luffy cried as he was being squeezed to death.

In Marco's case probably intentionally.

...

"Remember, we all have our tasks to do. Stay in contact and follow the plan." Marco emphatized.

"Aye!"

"Now, scatter!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Aye!"  
............................................................................................

Warm rays of the sun tingled on his tanned face, and playful wind ruffled his hair. The sea, the village, and the nostalgic sense of inner peace...

He was home...

It was almost like a dream.

It was so perfect that he couldn't believe it to be true.

Tears of relief slid down his cheeks as his knees hit the ground.

He can do this again. And do it right this time.

Ace! Sabo!... They are up there. Breathing, smiling and running around.

'I can't wait...To meet you again... My brothers...but before that, there is another thing that I must do!'


	8. It's burning man, Halelujah!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya,
> 
> Kalon Thorn is on a roll again with a brand new chapter. Thank you for your patience, the school got kinda rough with all those assigments and stuff.
> 
> ANYWAY, I wanted to make it up to you, so this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. Enjoy and comment down your thoughts, feeling, ideas or critique. Everything is much appreciated

_**Swallow island, North Blue** _

"So...Umm, " Corazon leaned out from behind the rough-hewn logs of wood and pointed with his thumb towards the scruffle taking place not so far away from their hiding spot "Who is from those two in your crew again? The one beating the poor bear's head with the metal pipe or the other one kicking its stomach so hard that it looks like he wants to stomp its guts out?"

He really didn't expect Law to have such a cruel crewmate. He wanted his crew to be like a family to him. He hoped that he had found someone who loved him the same way he did.

But _this_ was a part of his so called loving family?

Corazon's face twisted into a disgusted grimace. He had already seen a lot of blood and death in his life. Assasination, slavery, genocides... those things weren't new to him. How could they be when he was a former navy soldier and a brother to one of the cruelest men ever walking on the surface of this planet? Even though he lived through worse, he just couldn't stand the utter brutality that was happening before his very eyes.

It was **inhumane, sickening.**

A warm rusty blood flowed from the tiny bear cub's wounds, seeping into the surrounding pristine snow, while also staining its milky fur and creating odd veiny ornaments in the icy ground. Its frail body trembled with pain, and its cries were long silenced by the sore throat. Only occasional quiet whines could be heard as the two boys were beating it.

His fingers twitched and were ready to curl into fists any moment now. Those little fucks were reminding him of those people back then when he had to eat from dumpsters just to survive for another shitty day.

What did the cub do? It was just a small innocent animal, it didn't do anything to them, and yet they tarnished it with their violent human nature.

Why did those people years ago treated him and his brother like punching bags? To relieve hatred for their despicable kind?

They were just humans like no other.

They just wanted to live their lives in **peace** and **harmony.**

**They didn't want to hurt anyone.**

Why can't people understand that the sins of one person don't belong to any other than to that individual?

That petty revenge without _actually_ **trying** to change something is not worth the trouble?

They driven his mother to an early death, they made his brother into a **monster,** who in the end killed their own kind-hearted yet naive father... and made Rosinante experience every night those never-ending nightmares.

At times, he was and still is scared to look into the mirror, worried he'll see a mad smile of his brother, but plastered on his own lips.

Doflamingo and him were much more **alike** than he would ever want them to be.

He also **killed,** but he knew **mercy.**

**Doflamingo didn't.**

_But was that enough not to call him a monster too?_

"All three of them." Law interrupted Corazon's negative thoughts with a shit-eating grin.

"What?"

Law sighed, took Rosinante by his hood and pulled him back down into the malformed shadows.

"I know it looks pretty bad. I'll never forget Bepo's pleading gaze meeting mine..." surgeon confided and brushed the sheath of Kikoku with his fingers "In that time I saw myself in him, I wanted to protect him and so I did." he scoffed and cracked a little smile at the distant memory "but trust me, those two punks repented and genuinely apologized to him like million times and he still pulls this up on them even years later. It's an inside joke between us."

Corazon still looked confused as hell and so he decided to wait for Law to explain further.

The little doctor frowned again.

"Ah really, from one idiot to another. _***sigh**_ what I **meant** was that **all three** of them are in my crew, and yes Cora-san, even the polar bear. Bepo's a mink."

Corazon's jaw dropped to the ground at the revelation. He surely didn't expect that.

"You should close it now, or you'll be stuck like this forever Looking even more stupid than usual." Law chuckled and pushed his jaw back up. "And to be fair, they didn't exactly have the best lives until they met me either, so please try to understand. Like you did me..."

Law leaned closer to him and hugged his torso.

"For which I will always be grateful for." he breathed out and graced Corazon with his genuine happy smile.

"And now shut up and stay still. We don't want to expose ourselves now, do we?" Law flicked Corazon's forehead, took a strand of his now sky blue hair between his fingers and kept provoking him with his well-known smirk "Since you went through that amazing transformation and all, as not to stand out~"

"Uh, you shut up! I have put up my calm-calm barrier and you know it!" Rosinante retorted and shook Law's hand off "And for your information, I like my new apperance."

"Don't shake my hand off~" Law drawled, hooked his index finger under the black face mask with a white X that Corazon was now wearing and pulled it towards him

"Ow Ow Ow, my ears!"

Then Law let go and the mask went back with a nasty smack. Corazon whined and Law rubbed his hair again.

"As fluffy and smooth as I remember, huh? It's really you."

Corazon's face heated at Law's words. He was redder than his hoodie.

"Yo-you little brat! I-I am still older tha-than you. Don't you teas-se your father! " Corazon stuttered out, totally embarrassed and squished Law's kiddy chubby cheeks "On the other hand, it should be me teasing you. You were really adorable as a kid, weren't you... Just as I remember hahaha"

"You idiotsh! I'll shlishe you uph!"

_'You idiot! I'll slice you up?'_

"Hahaha, as I said before! Just adorable~" Corazon continued to gush about little Law's cuteness, not noticing one stray log roll away from the pile.

And so surprisingly...

...He tripped.

_***CLATTER** _

The loud noise caught the attention of the two bullies and they turned around in confusion.

"Shit." Law hissed "I thought you made the barrier around us!"

"But I did! I was probably distracted and my concentration decreased. It's your fault for teasing me, you brat!" Corazon barked back and smacked the back of Law's head

Now the boys were looking their way and stopped beating the living shit out of Bepo for a second.

Their stances became more rigid and alert.

"Who's there?! " The boy with ginger hair called out into the woods, but his question was met only with a playful howl of a wind.

"We know you're there! Come out!" The other boy with a hood shadowing his eyes shouted.

"Shit, what do we do?! We can't change this!" Law whisper-screamed and pulled Corazon further into the safe shadow of the forest.

"Stay still and don't say a **word."** little surgeon bit out and crouched down behind the nearest tree.

Corazon followed his example.

The boys looked at each other and nodded.

They brought out their weapons and prepared themselves for a possible brawl.

Cracking of the twigs and crunching of the snow, was dangerously nearing them. They tried to crouch even lower and become invisible.

_'What is this strange yet rather familiar stench?...'_

Law smelled the air for a bit and looked in the Corazon's direction.

Oh my fucking god of course!

He was fricking burning again!

"Psst, psst!" Law tried to get Rosinante's attention and waved his hand until Corazon looked at him.

"Fire." he mouthed and pointed towards his back.

Corazon's perplexed face turned quickly panicky.

"I am on fire!" he yelled out and started running towards the bloodied bear. To be specific, his target wasn't the bear, but the cool snow. One couldn't extinguish himself with a bear cub, but with snow? Yes.

Law facepalmed and grumbled.

"That fucking idiot!"

And ran after him.

On the way, Corazon ran straight into the gobsmacked duo and sent them flying to the ground.

When wheezing Law finally got to him, Rosinante was already rolling around circles in the snow.

"Excelent Cora-san, _It won't happen again_ my ass!" Law bit out and gestured towards the duo "Now stay down for a second. I'll deal with 'em."

The guy with hood shook off the primal shock.

"Who are you?!"

'"Just a travelling doctor. And let me tell you something. I don't enjoy having more work to take care of than I have to." Law smirked and pointed towards the cub who was desperatly trying not to pass out.

"Please... help... me...It hurts _***sniff**_ " the cub panted and lifted its small paw towards the fuming Law.

"You stay down too. Don't worry, I'll help you."

The little bear smiled and let itself drift into uncounciousness.

"Like hell you will! Don't butt in kid, this doesn't concern you!" The redhead jeered and smacked his pipe few times into his palm.

" **I'm no kid you bastards and don't ever tell me what to do.** " Law whispered dangerously, sending shivers with his voice down the boy's spine.

"Oh really?! Then die!" The other one screamed and ran to him with his fist raised in the air, ready to break Law's nose.

"Wa-wait Penguin! This guy's weird! Don't -" The ginger called out to his friend, but it was already too late. Law was smirking wickedly.

"ROOM!"

"Shachi what are you sayi-!"

* * *

It was over in no less than ten seconds.

Penguin and Shachi slumped over by the nearby tree. Their faces played with all colors, with purple being superior to others and were breathing heavily.

"This guy is a monster too." Shachi wheezed and put a hand on his hurt side. "This shit hurts...How the fuck is he so strong?"

"Yeah... I dunno, we should like you know... Run!" Penguin shouted and grabbed Shachi by his elbow, pulling him deeper into the forest.

"No, wait!" Law called out to them, but they were already far from earshot. "Take care of Bepo for the time being! I need to catch these dumbasses before the boars massacre them like last time!"

"Sure! Gimme the medicine!"

Law threw a first-aid kit at Corazon and started running after them.

It hit Corazon in the head, but he was laughing.

"Wahaha this kid, I swear-"

"What the heck is going on here? And who are you?"

Corazon whipped his head towards a familiar voice that he shouldn't hear, because the owner just ran into the forest.

It was a kid.

A kid with huge dark bags under their eyes, looking like it didn't sleep since they crawled out from their mother.

It was a little Law. To be more specific.

The image of him.

"Uh, hi?" Corazon said nervously with fake lower voice.

The image frowned and looked at the cub right next to distressed Rosinante.

"You're doing it wrong, y'know? Let me help you."

"A-ah, really? Thanks!" Corazon smiled and put a bandage into the image's hand.

_You're kind as always... Right, Law?_

* * *

"Oh no... The boars were here first..."

He found them just like last time, all bloody and injured, on the brink of the death.

Well, at least this time Penguin didn't have his arm cut off. Law really started to get sick off sewing the severed limbs back on.

Even though this wasn't the first time, a panic intruded his mind. It was his crew. His family. He's the captain. He should be able to protect them and yet he wasn't able to hold onto his word. He failed them. He left them to die...

His mind was being attacked once again by untamed dark thoughts.

"No! Wake up Law! You are back, you can save them... They are okay" Law smacked his cheeks and then looked at the pair "Okay maybe they are not really alright right now, but they will be once you patch them up, so get to work!"

* * *

"I could've have two kids. I could have twins and yet... You killed your own brother! Shame on you, you, you murderer!" Corazon comically wailed with tears streaming from his eyes and almost immediately freezing due to the cold wind.

"Oh. my. god., sweet holly Luffy, Cora-san, for the last time. You knew from the start that we need to erase my image. It wasn't even the real person and now you'll have other three kids, so stop yapping!"

' _Strawhat-ya at least don't go around catching on fire every damn second.'_

"Three other? Oh!... But... Okay the bear is honestly adorable, but I don't approve of those two hooligans! They have to prove themselves!" Corazon huffed as he carried both of them.

"Hai hai." Law smirked "Don't worry, these three are my very best friends. I spent time with them in Pleasure town before we sailed out to be pirates."

"Pleasure town? Is that where we're going? "

"Yes, we need to find the Wolf-san."

"Who?"

"An old inventor and mechanic, who took care of me." Law softly smiled and tugged on Rosinante's hoodie "Now, let's go, he must be worried!"

_'Wolf-san, huh? Thank you for taking care of my little Law.'_

* * *

**Dawn island, East Blue**

"Okay, now where did I put my notebook" a cloaked small child grumbled under its breath as it rummaged through its sling-on leather bag that was showing signs of being put through a lot of dangerous adventures.

You know scratch here and there, dark smudges along the strap and few memorable pins. The child stopped for a second and caressed the pins with fondness and deep sorrow.

His eyes fixed on the one that pictured palace in Alubarna and Happy Caroo posing with his wings stretch out in front of it.

' _Ah... This one' s from Alabasta...Vivi sent it to me, because I forgot to buy one after all that dying by Croc's hand. Tche! I'm glad I get to beat his ass.'_

His fingers slid across to another one. A raised fist engulfed in fire. He got this one back in Dressrosa from Sabo. It was actually a symbol of the Revolutionary Army. They promoted themselves with this symbol.

However, Sabo didn't give it to him, so that people thought he was part of the army, no, he would never let Luffy get involved with his business...

He did so, because he knew about Luffy's obsession with pins. And also because he didn't want him to be sad when they said their goodbyes...

Luffy already started collecting them long before he even met his brothers, but most of the pins he had were of Navy and its instituations. Garp really wanted to make him marine, huh? He was such a fanboy, that grandpa of his.

Luffy huffed at that thought, annoyed just by thinking about going through that persuasion hell yet again.

Even though he tried to be mad ať Garp and his ministrations, he wasn't able to get rid of that one marine themed pin.

Od course he couldn't..., how could he leave somewhere his first pin ever.

A heartfelt gift, wishing him a bright future, praying that they won't find him and he'll stay hidden, under the radar.

He loved his grandpa deeply and even though his punches were hard as rocks... No no no... Hard as the meat pudding he tried to make that one time, he wouldnt exchange him for any other old man...

Luffy loved how they sat around the fire after the 'workout', laughing and eating roasted crocodile meat. How his grandpa would always rufgle his hair and told him, that he would be always proud of him, no matter what he chose to do in the future. He loved how his wrinkles decorated his face, how his smile split his face when Luffy got a great punch in or when he dodged one of his lethal so called love-filled attacks. Or how grandpa's laugh ringed in his ears, how his thick finger flicked his forehead... reminding him that he had someone who cares for him... And how cold it felt whenever he had to go back to do marine-stuff.

...

After Ace and Sabo died and he was on the run from Akainu, after Robin was killed by that scum Blackbeard, the revolutionary army was decimated... and the newspaper said, that his father was also dead... He didn't even had the chance to get to know him and he was already dead...

In that time, he only had a one person left, who he could trust...

Back then, five years ago, he kind of retraced back, he felt like that clumsy cheeky 7 year old crybaby again, running to his grandpa Garp for some sense of security, for a warm hug, for some kind comforting words saying everything was going to be okay by his gruff voice, for some rice cracker that Garp loved so much and shared with no one except for Luffy and Ace...

But then when he thought he already got to him...

_"Psssst, Ji-Chan. It's me!"_

_But nobody answered... He took a closer step to the table..._

_"Oi, Ji-chaaaan it's not nice to ignore your own... grandson..."_

_Garp lied there motion less with his eyes closed._

_Luffy poked him._

_"Shishishi, another one of your sleep attacks? You are just like Ace, Sheesh"_

_He waited ten minutes_

_He waited half an hour._

_He waited two hours._

_He waited... five hours, but nothing happened_

_"Geez wake up already!" Luffy called out, slightly starting to panic._

_He shook his shoulders, but garp didn't respond..._

_Luffy's expression dropped and darkened_

_"Ji-Chan?" he rasped with his eyes wattering.._

_He looked at his chest... It wasn't moving up and down...like it should..._

_He slid his fingers on his neck..._

_**There was no pulse.** _

_He was asleep... But for eternity and he would never wake up again..._

_"This isn't funny grandpa!" Luffy screamed, tears falling from his redish eyes "I don't have anyone else left but you! And what do you do! You leave me alone to suffer! Again!"_

_The grief surged with every expelled breath, always reaching higher peaks, never sufficiently soothed by his long intakes of the damp stuffy coffe-scented air of the office. His knees buckled under him and he hit the floor with loud thud._

_Then, the door flew open._

_"Freeze criminal!"_

_"Viceadmiral Garp!"_

_Luffy bit his lip and ran._

_Ran and ran and ran._

_He ran._

_But where to._

_He didn't know._

_He didn't have where to run._

_He didn't have a home anymore._

_"He killed viceadmiral Garp, his own grandfather! This scum needs to be extermined immediately!" Akainu smirked and gestured for the soldiers to go after him._

_Garp was still lying there, in the office with his hand on den den mushi, spilled cofee and tons of newspaper and documents discussing the matter of Strawhats scattered around..._

_As Luffy ran, he thought..._

_..._ _he wasn't the brightest but everyone could se what happened there..._

_His Grandfather viceadmiral Garp the Fist, the marine hero... was **poisoned.**_

_**"**_ Aaagh, stop it you dumb head! Now's not the time to weep like a little baby just because your entire family and friends were killed in the future..."

"..."

"Okay! Maaaybe that's a pretty legitimate reason to cry, but still!" Luffy grinned as he finally felt the old notebook at the bottom of the bag and pulled it out.

However, as clumsy as he always is, he spilled the entire content all over the ground.

"Whoops, better put it back quickly." he chuckled and put the orange devil fruit, normal den den mushi and white den den mushi, his costume and few other things back into the bag.

"Now, what is the first few things I need to do... hmmm~ hmmm~" Luffy mused as he flipped to the first page "Ah, that's right! I need to get rid off that image thingy and...- _Oh my god, Marco has so weird handwriting -_ Yes! I need to discover if the Shanks already was here or if Garp already introduced me to bandits! Yooosh, here I go!"

Luffy puffed up his chest and with a confident spirngy stride went towards the village.

Oh...Foosha village.

A place filled with treasured memories... Makino, Woop-Slap, Shanks! He couldn't wait to see them. It was such a long time since he ate roasted smoky chicken and drunk that yummy orange juice at Makino's bar.

_***GROOOOWL** _

"I guess I know where I'll find myself." The boy snickered and as stealthily as he could, moved towards the small building in the back.

' _Don't look suspicious~. Don't look suspicious~.'_ Luffy chanted in his mind.

Even though, he could now lie a bit better, he was still nervous as hell right now and wouldn't you know, a small child in coat with hood creeping around corners as if it just stole the national treasure of Mariejois was kiiiinda suspicious on its own.

So it wasn't really strange that a few villagers gave him confused or wary looks.

"Gaaaah, finally here!" Luffy exhaled loudly, standing in front of the door to the bar.

He quietly opened it and slipped unnoticed inside.

And just as he predicted. There he was. Stuffing his mouth with chicken rolls...Good times.

'And oh? He has a straw hat already? Aw man, so he I won't get the chance to see Shanks...bummer'

"Well, whatever!" Luffy brushed his disappointment off and went to the kid. They were the only ones in the bar and Makino was probably in the kitchen, cooking another batch for this black hole of a child. What a lucky coincidence!

"Na, hey!" Luffy called out to the kid. The small boy with a scar under his eyes turned around with his cheeks still stuffed like a chipmunk.

"Mm?"

"I am here, so now you can go." Luffy sniggered and the boy waved back at him.

"Oh okay, you took while though! Be faster next time 'cause there are no chicken rolls left~" The kid stuck its tongue out and grinned mischievously.

"You little sh-!" Luffy was about to shout, but the kid touches him first and dissipated i to the air.

Only few sparkly particles were left of him when Makino came rushing in with another two dishes full of delicious looking chicken rolls.

"Ara? Luffy? You already ate them? _Fuu_ you're so quick hahaha." she laughed an put the plates down on the counter. "What's up with the coat? I don't think I saw it before?"

Luffy twitched and swiftly took it off and stuffed it into his bag.

"I found it lying in the forest. It didn't look like anyone wanted it, so I took it shishishishi." he beamed at her, drops of sweat dripping from his forehead and praying that she won't expose his lie.

"Oh?...you liked the coat, huh?... Oh! Are you perhaps trying to imitate Shanks-san?" Makino giggled and ruffled his raven soft hair.

"Eh... Un?" Luffy croaked out because he himself couldn't think of a better excuse.

Makino pulled his cheek and her eyes were filled with nothing short of fondness and adoration for Luffy. Then she abruptly stopped.

"Luffy...?" she whispered, her eyes darkening.

Luffy stopped leaning into her touch and holding his breath. What did he do? Did he screw up already?

"Why do you have bandaged arms...?" she inquiered.

Luffy cursed under his breath. He's a fucking idiot! He should've waited for a better opportunity! There exist no excuse that would logically be able explain why he in few minutes got so neatly bandaged arms!

"Luffy? How? Are you hurt or?... Show me your stomach!" Makino commanded and yanked his shirt up. "Oh god."

Luffy squeaked out in surprise as his bandaged torso was revealed.

" **Explain. Now.** "

"Ano...You see hehe... I saw? Yes I saw one of Shank's man a-and he had those cool bandages on and when I asked him about it, he said he has a really neat battle scars underneath it and that... That it's so cool, he doesn't want to show it, because he would always be center of the attention instead of his captain!" Luffy babbled out, sweating bullets and his eyes ticking from left to right.

"Hmmmmmmm." Makino observed him, giving him her _I-don't-trust-you_ look. "So you're not really hurt, right?" she asked carefully.

"N-no!" Luffy stuttered out, banging his head on counter mentally for not saying it more convincingly.

"So it wouldn't be problem to take these off, huh?" Makino drawled and reached out to him.

"NO! You can't!" Luffy yelled out, surprising Makino and making her back off a bit.

"But Luff-"

"Aaah, I'm so sorry Makino, but I must go, the chicken rolls were truly awesome! The yummiest I ever had! Bye bye!" he exclaimed and took off, leaving shocked Makino in the dust.

"Yeesh, why are things always so complicated!" he huffed out, running towards the Mt. Corvo "Okay, from now one I am using my brain."

He even bumped into Woop-Slap on his way and got scolding for running around old people like a delinquent.

"Shishishishi! I'm no good boy, Mayor! I'm going to be a pirate after all!" Luffy called out and continue to sprint towards the forest.

* * *

Haaa Haaa, catastrophe avoided! Shishishi..." Luffy laughed and flopped down with on his back, feeling lush wet grass under him. Now this is where the fun begins. He chuckled to himself.

"So, Ji-chan didn't arrive yet... Hum... But I can't return to the Foosha village or go to the bandits yet... Okay! Let's build a tree house!" he decided cheerily "Yosh! Hide-out it is! Oh man, Ace's and Sabo's eyes will fall out of their sockets when they see my work!"

He tried to imagine his dream house. It was exactly the same as the one he build with his brothers. With an vivid image in his mind, he started running in the direction of the Gray Terminal.

There should be just enough material.

When they worked all together, it took a week for them to finish it. With him alone it would take a bit longer, but that didn't matter!

' _Only thing that matters are your flabbergasted faces after I show you my secret hiding spot shishishi'_

* * *

"Yikes! I forgot how weak this body is... I need to get myself to the shape again!" Luffy huffed as he lifted five planks and ran back to his chose tree. It was the on with the thickest trunk in the whole forest and also the tallest one growing there. So. Just perfect for a tree house.

After a few hours he had the base done.

He sat down and leaned his back on the tree.

"The sun is going to set soon... I think it's about time to call Marco." Luffy contemplated and took a den den mushi from his bag. Then he connected it to the white one as to not get eavesdropped on and dialed Marco's number.

_***Puru Puru Puru Puru** _

_***Gacha** _

"Marco the Phoenix speaking. What business do you have with the first commander's of the Whitebeard pirates?" Marco's lazy tone drawled out of the speaker.

"Shi Shi Shi Shi, Mephisto wants to speak to the Inferno. You have 'im there?" Luffy chuckled and lowered his voice.

"Ah! Luffy! I just wanted to call you~! So, Giggles... I hope you didn't screwed the plan yet."

"Bleeh I didn't you fire-chicken. Well, not entire ly st least. I just had to ran out of the village because Makino wanted to take my bandages off." Luffy laughed nervously.

"Haaa, I knew it. I told you to think before you act, but here we go again. But oh well, the important thing is that she didn't saw what was underneath, right? So just keep low profile and follow the plan and everything should be a-okay." Marco sighed with a soft smile.

"I miss you Marco."

"Yeah. I miss you too, Giggles... My little brother."

"..."

"Go to sleep, today must've been exhausting."

"Yeah...it kind of was."

"See? Then go to bed, so you have strengh for tommorow."

"Okay... I'll call you again tommorow... Sweet dreams, Marco~"

"Ha ha, thank you Luff, I'll look at some documents and go too, good night."

_***Gacha** _

Luffy stretched his arms out and climbed up to the tree and lied down on the few plank he put there.

"Nice dreams Ace, Sabo _ **..."**_ he whispered into the wind "I want to meet you again soon, I missed you a lot." he sniffled as a straight tear slid down his cheek.

He looked up to the now starry sky. It made him hope.

That everything and everyone dear to him was going to be okay.

He let himself be lulled by familiar screeches of exotic animals and dozed off.

Little did he know someone was watching him with a curiosity in their eyes.

A small boy was crouched the branch of one of the nearby tree. His eyes stinged with hatred and untamed fire dance in them.

"Just who the hell is this kid?"

**Here's my terrible edit of how I imagined Corazon now to look like. Keep in mind that this is only for you to better understand and imagine it and nothing else.**

****


	9. The man who will take the world by storm

**_Sabaody archipelago, Grand Line_ **

" _L et...my...sister_... **BE YOU MONSTER**!"

_***CLANK** _

"Don't touch her!... _ ***hit**_... STOP!... _ ***hit**_...GET YOUR FILTHY FINGERS OFF OF HER!... _ ***hit**_...RHAA!... _ ***hit**_..."

_***THUD** _

"Ha... Ha... Ha... _ ***clunk**_..." the petite girl heavily exhaled as she dropped the bloodstained metal lid on the wet ground.

"Nghh,... _ ***cough cough**_ " she wheezed, desperate to breathe.

She clawed at her neck.

_'It's suffocating here'_

She needed a fresh air.

_'I don't want to smell that disgusting metallic scent anymore'_

They just escaped it...They didn't need to nor wanted to go back...

To that **awful...**

**...horrifying**

**...revolting**

**...insane place, where praying to God to save you is laughable.**

**Why would you pray to gods, when they were the ones torturing you?**

She started slowly backing away from the man's corpse, until her marked back hit the cold wall behind her. Emerald shards of glass were buried deep in multiple wounds on her body, causing sharp numbing pain with each movement. Her scaped kness buckled under her weight and she slid down into the puddle of dirty rain water.

The raven-haired girl looked at her bloody trembling hands in horror, blinded by bitter tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What did I..." she mumbled and sunk her fingers harshly to the roots of her hair which lost its natural healthy glow long time ago. "...just do?"

She knew death.

She saw it happen so many times.

She could watch blood splatter on her cheek and remain stone-faced.

She wished death to those who harmed her and her two dear siblings.

And yet... She has never been the one to do the _'deal'_ , until now that is.

It was a new feeling entirely.

Guilt slithered its way into her fuzzy mind, just like a snake, slowly suffocating its victim by tightening their slimy body around their neck.

She started tugging on her neglected hair, trying to pull them out.

Maybe if she wasn't so pretty, they'll leave her and her sisters alone.

Yes... that's right, it's all her fault for being so pretty.

She'll be ugly if she becomes bald and scratches her face a little, right?

Then they'll be free from all those nasty pervy eyes... from those nimble heated hands and list-filled words...

' _I just...'_

She didn't dare to look the way of motionless body.

" _ ***hic**_... _ ***hic**_...si-ster?"

The cries of her little sibling brought her back to reality. She swiftly crawled to her baby sister's side, checking her all over for any potential injuries.

"Oh... my small Sonia... _***sniff**_ , it's okay...it's okay now...that disgusting man can hurt us no more..." she whispered with her trembling voice sweet comforting words into Sonia's ear as she cradled her frail body in her arms "I made sure of it..." she growled venomously, hatred embedding itself deep inside her heart and spreading its roots more and more.

"Nobody will be able to hurt us again... Now we just need to go pick up Mari, steal a boat and we're good to go..."

"Re-really? _ ***sniff**_ "

"Yes, of course Soni-!"

" **Oi Johnny! You done?!** "

The girls froze.

A resounding footsteps could be heard nearby.

There was someone else there.

That man she killed earlier wasn't alone.

"Tsk, he brought friends with him." she hissed quietly.

"Sister?"

"Don't worry sweetheart, this is nothing... I'll find a way out" she whispered and shushed Sandersonia's worries.

Her eyes traveled all across the abandoned dead-end alley. No windows. No doors. No way down to sewers or way up to roofs. There was no escape. Fuck.

 _'Then I'll just have to dirty my hands once again tonight. It's easy. I'll do it just like the first time...'_ she tried to assure herself as her eyes wandered to the dead male.

The older sister bit her lip and gnawed on it so hard that little drops of blood dropped down her chin.

She didn't want to kill. Just the thought of it wanted to make her puke her guts out.

But she wanted them dead. They deserted it.

They were just male scumbags... The worst of the worst to breathe on this planet.

_'If it means I can keep my sister safe this way...from any more harm... Then I'll do anything'_

"Oiiii Johnnnyyy! We wanted to have some fun with those girlies too! I hope you didn't finished them off before we got our turn!"

"Onee-sa... ma?"

The older sister didn't move. Did she just heard correctly?

' _We?... There's more of them?!'_

 _"_ Ayo! Mark's right man! Those lil' bitches looked delish!" a new voice rumbled almost too cheerily and eager for the... action.

They were doomed.

The steps of the group approaching them were nearer and nearer by each shedded tear.

She pressed her shaking baby sister deeper into her chest and stroked her hair lovingly. She closed her eyes. This was it. This was the end.

_'We got far...We ran away and could taste the freedom for at least a day...'_

"My god he's deaf." The Mark-guy grumbled, only a few turns away from the terrified pair.

_'...I don't want to give up, but...'_

The laugh of the group echoed through the deserted alley, setting the alarm off in her mind, but she stood still. She gently drew circles and spirals on the back of Sandersonia's hand.

The gang was two corners away from them now.

 _'I promise I'll defend you to my last breath... Well, at least Marigold is safe... At least one of us will live_...'

"Psst, hey! Up here!"

She whipped her head around with a lightning speed and looked at the stretched out hand.

The stranger's playful smirk that danced across their lips and their cyan striking orbs that glowed in the darkness of this ghastly dread-filled night, pulled her with invisible force towards their helping hand. What more could she lose? Be killed now or later? She prefered later of course.

She grabbed it.

The stranger lifted her up, together with her sister. It was really dark and she still couldn't see the mysterious saviour's face clearly.

The person took them into their arms and throw something into the alley. A weird ticking noise was coming from the strange device. But the stranger didn't wait for the group of men to arrive and started to ran away.

They sprinted with two girls in their arms as if they weighted nothing more than a sack of feathers and jumped across several buildings with unexpected ease. They made their way to the top of the tallest building in groove one. Only then they put them down, exhaling loudly while they sat down.

"So... Who are you? Why did you help us?" The older sister asked cautiously. They still had their sea-stone shackles on and she doubted that she would be able to kill him. Their raw power was almost tangible in their presence.

But before the mysterious individual could answer, loud shouts and then sudden explosion roared from the direction they came from.

The girl lifted her eyebrow in question with utter perplexion visible on her face, but it was wariness that swirled in her chocolate eyes.

"Yo! The name's Inferno. Nice to meet you future pirate empress Boa Hancock." The guy grinned and offered her his hand.

"A m-man?! Don't touch me!" Hancock screamed and slapped his hand away "I don't know what you want or how do you know who I am but let us go this instant!

"Calm down missy, I am here to help you, not to harm you in any way and certainly not to do what those guys wanted... Oh! By the way, they are blown to smithereens now. **Those sons of gun deserved it.** " he mumbled darkly and put a hand in fron of him."Don't worry, I'm not usually this brutal, but these guys..."

"... Let's say that I trust you not to harm us right now. Who are you really, why did you saved us and how do you know my name? Explain yourself!"

"Hey hey I'll talk so calm down. I can't say everything, but... Well for starters,... let's say the situation is more complicated than you could comprehend right now. My boss sent me here to protect you and your sisters, missy" Inferno answered her calmly and lazily glanced up, revealing part of his face. He had piercing glance, sleepy eyes and goggles around his neck. She didn't recognize him. She has never seen this man in her life, so why did she feel so safe around him?

"Boa Hancock is my name you stupid male." she demanded and flicked her hair sassily "Ha! Then who's your so called boss and why did he wanted me safe? Does he want me untouched or something? Well sucks to be him because I was tainted years ago!" she bit out, hateful words spilling from her parched lips.

"Haa okay... listen." Inferno huffed out and put a hand in front of him in calming manner. "I am not here because our boss wants you in his bed, but because he holds you dear. It's hard to explain now but one day you'll meet him and he tells you his reasons..." he promised and stood up "Now it would be helpful if you told me where the marigold is, so I can take you all back to Amazon Lily."

"But yo-!"

"Hancock, not everyone wants to hurt you. You are not alone. You don't need to do this alone"

"..."

"Please?" he bend over and ruffled her hair "Try to trust me?"

"... Fine... In a groove four, behind the marked tree, near the roots." she mumbled while hugging her sleeping sister.

"Thank you." he smiled warmly and Hancock's heart felt lighter... The roots of hatred disappearing. So this was kindness.

"But still... Why did your boss... How could he-?"

"He knew you were going to be kidnapped. He knew you would be hurting. He holds you dear. You don't know him yet he knows you. He couldn't do anything about it just until now and he sent me because he himself couldn't... Those are all undeniable facts which sadly I can't really prove to you... " he trailed off and looked at the sandering bubbles in the street casting dim indigo blue light.

_'Why don't they just use street lamps?'_

"Well then... The least I can say to that boss of yours is...thank you, I will wait for you then..." she murmured and blushed slightly "Mister Inferno... Can I at least know his name?"

Inferno smiled softly.

"Mephisto. Remember this name for now. He will reveal himself to you when the time comes for him to take the world by storm."

' _It_ c _an't hurt to throw a little hint in, can it?_ ' Marco chuckled and took the sisters again into his arms.

"Mephisto... I shall remember this name then... And why for the love of... Ugh... Are you laughing you damn male?" she barked and reddened.

"It's just that you're the same as I remember. Still so tough, taking out that pervert. Good job Han'~"

"Wh-wh-what Han'! That sounds like hen you idiot!... Wait... You know me too?"

"Aaannd end of the questions, now let's go get Marigold. I bet she's worried."

"Gah, you men and your secrets. Fine! I won't ask anymore... Okay just one more... What exactly did you do back there?" she inquired, curious about the earlier explosion.

"Ah, that heheh I'm a doctor, but I'm also interested in chemistry. That one was my cesium instant bomb. When you mix cesium with water it goes boom to make it simple. The bomb was a timed one, so when the time ran out then the cesium capsule opened and it dropped into the water...Science is amazing, isn't it? " Marco gushed about his explosive.

"Aah...very." Hancock answered and let herself be carried.

"Tsk, no one understands the art of science."

' _Mephisto... Man who will take the world by storm, huh? I'm kind of excited to see what you're made of, then I will judge myself what kind of person you decided to become. Will you be the same as them... Or different entirely?... I can't wait to meet you my hero. '_

* * *

_**Dawn island, East Blue** _

"Rha!"

_***BASH** _

"Hah!"

_***CRUNCH** _

"Heya!"

_***BAM** _

"Huff...huff...sweet holy meat on the stick this is hard...huff, huff..." Luffy choked out, trying to catch a breath from all that workout he put himself through.

"Man, this is so annoying!" He snarled and punched the last undestroyed tree around him."I need to go through this again~? I was already so strong..." he whined and leaned against the tree trunk."Three weeks in and all I can do is bash trees with my bare fist... Well, at least now I can aim again due to toning my arms a bit..."

***CRUNCH**

"Huh? What was that?" he looked towards the source of noise. The tree he punched earlier and was now leaned on was halved right in the place he punched it in his fit of anger and now the higher half was falling on him!

_**"UWOOOAAH!"** _

"Ha, idiot." the boy in red shirt mumbled with small grin tugging on his lips.

"Pfffft- HAHAHAHA, this guy!" the other boy right next to him exploded with laughter. "Th-this guy looked suspicious to you? Ace, c'mon what dumb kid like this could do?" he chuckled and pointed to the squashed kid.

"You think he's still alive?" Ace wondered.

"I dunno, we're pretty far from him. I don't even know what he was screaming, meh he punched the tree in half, he's probably okay."

Ace frowned again "You never know Sabo... He's weird...The night I found him he was talking to someone on den den mushi... "

"And? Is that a crime or something?" Sabo shrugged off "Or is it some secret sign being dangerous?" he mocked him.

"You little! Firstly! Do you even know how expensive and rare here those are? How could normal kid have those?... He had two even! One of them was weirdly white...You know anything about that?"

"Nope,...hey you're thinking too much... Maybe he ran away from home and took his parent's or something?" Sabo mused and graced his best friend with toothy calming smile.

"He had bandages all over him."

"Oh? So now you're worried about him Ace-kun~?"

"What are you saying dumbass?! "Ace shouted and punched Sabo's back of the head." I mean what was beneath them! I watched him from afar to change them... He has some weird tattoos all over him and hides them. I couldn't see much, but I remember flames I think?"

Ace's freak out was met with Sabo's uninterested glance.

"I mean c'mon! He has tattoos and intentionally hides them? Isn't something fishy here?"

"Uwaa, my best friend is a pervert~, watching people change, you nasty~" Sabo provoked and poked him in the shoulder which caused Ace to almost fall down from the branch.

Ace reddned, pulled on his collar and shook with him rapidly "Ya idiot! I am being serious here! What kind of kid has so many tattoos?! He's obviously younger than us, he can't be older than six or seven! "

"I am serious too Ace... Yes, I think it's strange, but... from when are you interested in someone's past? From when does someone's past matter to you?"Sabo mumbled and his face became serious. His eyes pierced those Ace's black ones..."I think you're thinking too much..."

Ace wanted to say something back but decided to shut up.

"Yeah...mabye you are right...I guess I have became too paranoid...Let's go hunt our dinner." Ace confessed and ran off.

"Ok! " Sabo smiled and turned around "Bye you little cute weirdo." he whispered and took off after Ace.

* * *

"Yosh, the weird presences are gone... And here I thought I would be alone here... Gosh I almost outed myself yet again... I need to be more cautious..." Luffy grumbled and stood up, lifting the tree of his back with ease. "Moooo it's all the time reverse thing FAULT. My observation haki is dulled as heck... And the other two...too... I thought it was more of a mental thing but I guess I need to get stronger physique and experice?" he dusted himself off and went to his bag "The saddest thing is though that conqueror's should be normal... And yet... It's weak as heck!... Is it due to my condition...? Have I grown weak? Who am I kidding... I was always weak..." he trailed off, looking into nothing while rummaging through his stuff... Until his hand brushed across the Sanji's lighter...

His eyes dulled and fingers twitched for lighter...

He needed warmth... And he needed now.

Those calming flames...

"No!" ge grabbed his hand "Not again! I will preserve!"

"huff..huff..."

"Maybe my mind and body is weak right now..." he stood up, finally finding the sea-stone shackles in his bag. "But I won't back down! I have things to do and I can't do it in this sorry state!"

He put the shackles on and exhaled deeply.

"And now, it's game on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Luffy still has some internal problems he needs to fight, but he will be alright... Right? Put down the comments your thoughts, it interests me. Anyway thanks for reading and see you next time.
> 
> Kalon Thorn~


	10. Marco-chi, would you like some blueberry bagels?!

"Finally... home, sweet home..."

Inferno whispered huskily as he landed with a soft thud on the wooden floor. The sleep was trying to push his already semi-opened eyes close, and he knew that if he stopped fighting it even for a second, he would be out cold, snoring his lifetime chance to fix things up away before someone could say pineapple. Why pineapple? You know why.

Still don't know? Well I won't say it, because I know you want me to.

Fuck u his hair doesn't look lik-

"... And no more crazy-ass luffy-obsessed snake babes in sight, hurray."

Peeking around the corner carefully, he noticed a sleeping crewmate, slumped to the mast, drawn on with red and pink lipsticks. The almost indistinguishible words on his forehead read 'No mercy for Percy'...Wait, why for the love of Thatch's holy bagels are there kissmarks on his bare foot?! Marco didn't want to know.

' _Dammit Percy, don't think just because you are not in my division I will let this go. You will feel Izou's wrath for drinking off your ass on watch again.'_

He scoffed in his head and observed if there was anyone else. He checked the crow's nest. There were usually two people guarding the ship.

_'Observation haki!'_

He gathered the last of his forces and concentrated it all on the nest.

There was someone up there.

But they weren't moving.

Not even the slightest movement could be sensed.

' _A calm aura... Were they also sleeping?... These dumbasses I swear!... But, this one is kind of familiar...Hmm...Well, whatever, easier for me I guess'_

The old grimy planks creaked under his steps as he sneaked across the unusually quiet empty deck of Moby dick. He successfully made his way to his room. With an obnoxiously loud squeak, he pushed the door open and slipped in. As fast as he could, he undressed and sruffed the costume into the bag and throw it under the bed - the darkest place in the room and maybe even on the whole ship. Yeah, Marco wasn't really that fond of cleaning that much in the past, before he met Luffy and the gang. Marco, Koala and Perona were the only ones keeping their house somewhat clean. He remembered too well how scary it can get when you don't check under Luffy's bed for a whole week. Tons of dirty dishes, crumpled wraps from chocolate bars and mountain of empty soda cans. Of course he beaten his ass into red and blue after that and made him help Marco to clean his mess.

To this day, Law still teases Strawhat about his butt playing all colors of rainbow after Luffy came to him for treatment, because it was too painful to even sit down. Law laughs, Luffy pouts, furrowed brows and all, looking cute and scary at the same time. If someone asked Marco if he was sorry, he would tell them something along the line of "If I ever find out he is still doing this, I won't hesitate to do it again. Rainbow ass jokes or not."

He flicked on his little table lamp and laid out the paper with evidence he collected so far.

"Sabaody archipelago - aside from slavery, drugs too are about to take over here..." he mumbled and ran his fingers into his golden locks in frustration "Dammit, that greedy bastard Drug Peclo is moving too fast..."

The door opened suddenly. A vibrant, friendly voice brought Phoenix out of his thoughts.

"Knock, Knock Marco-chi~, how are ya doing? Still such a big workholic I see..." Thatch beamed at him with his toothy smile as he came into his room. " Like seriously, do you ever laze around?" The chef sighed and walked towards messy table with a tray in the hand. He brought him mug of black steaming coffee and freshly baked blueberry bagels.

Marco's heart jumped happily. He still couldn't get used to seeing his best friend smiling at him and being alive. He missed his laugh, stupid jokes, bad pick-up lines he tried to pull on the nurses and of course... his cooking.

"At least I didn't t let the whole crew almost starve to death when taking a beauty nap instead of cooking." Marco shot back with mischievous leer and rested his chin in palm palm of his right hand.

"Oi! That happened only thrice! Here I am being nice to my best buddy and this is what I get? Tch, forget the bagels!" Thatch pouted as a little kid would and was about to dramaticaly turn around, but Marco hopped up from his chair and went straight for the bagels.

"Mm, it smells delicious~, as expected from the best chef of Whitebeard pirates." Phoenix smirked and was just about to take one bagel, but his hand was slapped away from the alluring delicacy.

"Tsk, don't butter me up, it doesn't work on me." Thatch grinned and put the tray in his other hand, stretching it out far from Marco's grabby hands.

Marco pinched his nose and squeezed hard.

"Ouch ouch nooo, stop. Stop. Time out!"

"Give me those bagels or perish!" Marco hissed out, but let go of him.

"You are so agressive~"

"Thatch..." Marco frowned and folded his arms across his chest in a disapproving stance.

"Oh don't look at me like that..., your I-will-murder-you-if-you-don't-give-me-those-bagels-and no-one-will-ever-find-your-body stare doesn't affect me either, but maybe _'Oh Thatch! You are my best friend and I love your style of flirting, you are so **cool** and **smart'**_ would probably shake me a bit" he grinned and poked into Marco's jaw.

The Phoenix scoffed, but stayed silent with a contemplating grimace on his face. Thatch was still throwing him a hopeful expectation-filled look. Wait, were his eyes sparkling?

' _You are not cute.'_

"..."

_***SPARKLE** _

' _You are not cu-'_

"..."

_***SPARKLE** _

_'You are-'_

**_*SPARKLE_ **

' _Gosh darn, fiiiine'_ Marco rubbed the root of his nose and sighed in resignition.

"Oh. Thatch. Your flirting sucks so much it hurts, you are so cool as Jozu's feet when he forgets to bath for few weeks and your pompadour isn't that epic and you are rather annoying sometimes,.." Marco listed thing after thing with robotically neutral voice laced with lazily faked admiration.

Thatch puffed out his cheeks and furrowed his brows. If he meant it to look intimidating, then... it was certainly not. He looked more like an angry pup that was just told it was adopted. But Marco's speech didn't end there.

"...And even despite all that... you are my best friend...all these things... it's what makes you... Well, _you._.." he said with emotion apparent in his voice again, looking him straight in the eyes "No...You are more like a brother to me and I love you. I really do so please... Never leave me..." Marco trailed off, adding in his head silent ' _Again_ '. He held Thatch's gaze for a few seconds and then looked to the side, a little embarrassed by his confession. He was never thatch kind of guy who wears a heart on his sleeve... Not like Luffy.

Thatch was shocked. Marco has never shown so much affection towards his crewmates, not even to his friends, not even to...him. Yes, he cared deeply for them and they knew it, but he.. Never word it out... With his wide blown eyes he watched as a pink tint creeped up his way across Marco's cheeks and as his eyes looked into void, somewhere behind him. There was something in his eyes...Grief, deep sadness mingling with specks of sheer happiness... He couldn't put his finger on it, but Marco looked even more perplexed by his feelings than Thatch was.

His eyes watered with tears of joy.

He put the tray down on the table and caught Marco in a big bear hug.

"Who are you and what did you do to my Marco?" he hicked and rubbed his wet eyes with his sleeve" Man, you are making me cry here"

Marco put his hands around him too and sqeezed back. Thatch kept on dramaticaly crying, wetting his shoulder...Marco chuckled lightly at the display.

"Wat's so fubby, Uh?" (What so funny, huh?)

Thatch rasped out between sobs.

"I am just glad you are here." Marco smiled and řešte his chin on Thatch's shoulder.

"Man you are being weird. Almost disgustingly sweet... I swear if I find out you are some kind of imposter and where you hid Marco's body, you are dead man."

"Hahaha you always cracks me up, Thatch!"

"Well, duh! I am funny! See? Marco doesn't show his emotions so openly... But hey this is maybe better..." Thatch grinned and put his hand on Marco's head"Yooosh, this Marco is better, I am keeping you"

"Shut up dumbass and hug me properly" Marco hissed trying to sound annoyed, but his voice lacked the usual biterness.

"Fufufu~, you became so loving~, I am **definitely** keeping you."

"I said quiet"

Marco murmured and pinched his ear.

"Ah ite ite ite, sorryyy" Thatch squeaked out and embraced him more tightely.

"Now that's more like it"

* * *

"Good night Mar-co-chi~" Thatch sang as he was just about to leave.

"Yeesh, go already and stop calling me that!" Marco barked and threw a shoe at him.

"Wahaha okay okay I'll shut up. And you go sleep already, I wish you sweet dreams." Thatch gave him a last smile with closed eyes and let the door close behind him.

Marco stretched his arms and sat down to table again, going through the documents he got from Shakky. It's was such a shame Rayleigh wasn't still back, chasing after his younger image. Well. To be correct, the image was now older due to their meddling, but whatever right? He wished Shakky a to have a nice day after bringing her the Boa sisters and went right back to the ship. He doesn't need to be worried, Shakky will take care of them. They will be back to their homeland in no time.

_***BANG** _

"And by the way the bagels are made with pure love so they are really **really** special. Blueberry, not that sweet and with hint of almonds, Enjoy ~" Thatch busted in again as quick as he appeared, he left laughing his ass off after seeing the shock on Marco's face.

Marco sighed and grinned widely.

"Ha, that idiot." he scoffed with adoration apparent in his voice.

"I missed this."

* * *

"Good job, everyone! Let's just take these aboard and we are finished stocking up on food for another two weeks!" Marco boomed so everyone heard him and his command was answered with cheerful "Yes, commander!" from his subordinates.

As the pirates rolled barrels and carried the crates aboard, sweat rolling down their bodies from all that work, the first commander of Whitebeard pirates instead of over seeing their work, was spací g out as usual for him these last weeks. He looked at his ring.

It glinted and Marco couldn't také his eye of it. Just by looking at it, he felt much calmer. Of course he was happy being with his family again. There is no way for him to feel more safer than being in presence of Whitebeard himslef, the stongest man in the world, his captain and father. The one who rescued him from ending up dying alone, starved and unloved somewhere in dark alley of small city in New World.

Really, don't get him wrong he was happy... It was just that he found a new family. Or maybe would be better to say 'another one', he made it bigger... He wanted to have them close again.

Last five years have been excruciating. Was Fujitora really feeling okay, was he really healed?

How about Koala? Will she be okay? She will have to get her back burned again and all...

Will she get another fit? What will they do, when Luffy won't be near her?...

Yes... What about Luffy? Is his little troublesome sibling causing problems again? Did he meet up with his brothers already? Did he meet...

Ace...?

A collosal amount of questions swirled in his head in a chaotic vortex.

' _Agh my head hurts again... I need to call them... I want to see them...'_

He rubbed at the golden gem.

**"Marco!"**

Izou jumped down from the crow's nest, landing right in front of the startled male. He adjusted his clothes and tucked in a stray strand of his black obsidian hair, poking out of his perfect hairstyle and gave Marco a short measuring look.

"Dammit Marco! You worked over the whole night again, didn't you?! You look horrible." Izou scrunched up his nose in disapproval "Come with me, I'll try to fix you as much as I can" he said and started dragging the poor Marco towards his quarters.

"Well, sorry for looking like shit Izou" Marco bit out, his voice brimming with sharp sarcasm.

"You will thank me later."

The door closed behind them.

"So what are you going to do? Dress me into a skirt, extend my hair, put a neon pink lipstick on me and introduce me to the crew as Marcy, the new exclusive Thatch's nurse or what?" he jeered, thinking about the unpleasant memory.

"That was all Thatch's doing, and I have to confess, I thought it was very funny" Izou chuckled and rummaged through his things.

"Yeah, yeah it was _**hilarious** "_

"Oh shut it, don't be so salty, it was your fault for letting yourself get drunk into oblivion by him."

Marco just grumbled, but didn't answer after that.

Izou pulled out yesterday's newspaper, Sabaody Special, and handed it to the Marco who just lifted his brow in question on Izou.

"Read."

Marco shrugged it off and read the title. He was bit started how Izous voice hardened, but didn't inquire.

**"Night bombing in groove 23, 2 and 1 last night. 28 dead."**

Marco didn't let it show on his face, but his heart sped up. He raised his gaze back to Izou's.

"So?"

Izou stayed silent and handed him another two newspapers from past weeks.

" **Mysterious figure seen in marine headquarters, the important documents on new recruits going missing!"**

" **An unknown individual broke into the Fjord's treasury! The famed ice blades went missing! The victim's calling out the Navy to catch the criminal"**

Marco searched for any kind of trace of doubt in Izou's face...but his face stayed neutral...stone-cold and calculating, judging...His eyes though were piercing, as if only his gaze could make person spill out every last of their secrets, from wetting your bed until nine years old to accidently killing your cat with a boomerang once.

"I thought it was weird, You know... News about mysterous person wrecking havoc on island after island that we 'coincidentally' also were on in that time." Izou started pacing across the room "I thought I was just being paranoid and all... But I watched Marco... And I saw someone leaving the ship at night... Just the nights before the scandals." Izou's face twisted in worry " I didn't mean to be suspicious of our crew, but it just... I felt like something was wrong... "

Marco gulped but remained stone-faced. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and he prayed Izou didn't see it.

"Do you know what else was weird? "Izou said and took a step closer to Marco to look him in the eye again

"You."

Marco's heart felt like it stopped for a second.

' _Fuck. Here I am telling Luffy ti be careful and I fuck up first'_

He shook off his shock quickly.

"What do you mean? I was same as always. By Thatch's own words _'Bored old grumpy workholic'..._ I guess he forgot he is only two years younger than me" Marco chuckled, trying to sway Izou's doubt.

"Maybe you glaring at Teach every damn second he has his back turned to you and you think no one' watching you?... I swear I saw you crush the iron railing while glaring daggers at him...you are a lot more emotional now... Before you were more laid back kind of person, more quiet... " Izou smiled sadly and brushed off hair from his face."...but these days...you chatter every minute you can and you look so overjoyed..." he huffs as he just told a stupid joke." And that time you saw pops one morning and ran to hug his leg and then the rest of us, the commanders. The whole crew was whispering about you becoming possesed by hug demon after that... You never hug anyone... You became strange since three weeks ago so I must ask you then,"

Marco held his breath.

"..from where were you coming from last night in two in the morning? The first commander of Whitebeard pirates?" Izou asked with voice sharp as knive, as if trying to cut through all lies Marco was about to say.

"..."

' _So he was the one in the nest... I guess he wasn't asleep huh. But it's okay, I was disguised, he couldn't have recognized me_ '

"I was in my quarter's all night, working as usual. I don't now what are you talking about. Thatch can confirm my statement if you don't believe me." Marco said lazily, keeping cool head and appearing almost bored on the outside, only finger in his nose was missing and he could be marked as being ignorant.

"I don't know why are you lying..." Izou started carefully "I trust you Marco, we are all family, but... Why?..." Izou's gaze softened as he came closer to anxious Marco and took both of his hands in his"...Is something bothering you?... Don't you trust your family with your problems?" he squeezed them lightly but Marco just smiled and shoved them off gently.

"I really don't know what are you talking about Izou. I don't have any problems."

Izou frowned, but didn't say anything else. He took his hands in his again.

"Let me go, I need to work."

"Why don't you trust me enough to-?"

"Izou."

Izou bit his lip.

"Please"

"..."

He sighed and let go of him. He looked down on his feet and turned around.

"I will be there to listen if you ever need someone to lend the ear... Thatch too... We are all here for you." he whispered, voice thick with the emotions.

"... I know" Marco whispered back and exited his cabin. Guilt was crawling up his back.

' _Did I...? Should I...?'_

_'No, there's too much to lose...'_

_'Sorry Izou'_

Marco's slow steps resonated in the hallway.

' _He was always the observant one... And kind at that'_

Marco huffed and went back to his position.

* * *

"Commander Marco!"

"Yes Alex?"

Marco turns around to see his subordinate. Small woman in red jacket, breathing heavily and rubbing droplets of sweat from her temple.

"It's a-", _***huff**_ it's a- " Alex panted trying to catch her breath.

"Don't tell me Percy is drunk again!" Marco bellowed, ready to tear that little shit apart.

"No, no.. Captain wants to talk with you."

Marco froze.

' _Shit_ '

"Commander?"

"Yes, yes...I'm going. Tell Percy to be ready for punishment. He will know why." he managed to croak out and started walking towards Whitebeard's cabin.

' _Did Izou snitch on me?... No, he wouldn't do that... Or was he that worried about me?'_

Marco was so deeply submerged in his thoughts that he didn't even realize he was already in front of the massive door.

He lifted his hand to knock but hesitated.

He stood there for minutes.

' _What if he'll make me to spill everything? He will want to chan-... He will... He will...'_

"Are you going in or you are you going to stand there for another ten minutes?" a booming voice thundered from behind the door.

Marco swiftly opened it and closed it behind him with a loud click.

"Hi Pops, sorry I just have a lot on my mind these days" Phoenix smiled apologitecally.

Whitebeard threw him an amused look and took a big swig of saké he had in his flask.

"Gurara,...that is okay my son, but what would have you so invested in it that you spaced out for so long in front of your captain's door?"

Marco's mind was blank, he wanted all those distracting feelings to stop. He can't concentrate properly.

"Well, what did you want to talk about pops?" Marco tried to dodge the previous question.

He could feel Whitebeard's curiosity, but the old man didn't call him out and just went with it.

"You seem troubled Marco... Is there anything you want to tell me?" he leaned forward and offered his hand to him. Marco accepted his invitation and took it. Whitebeard placed him on his right leg and leaned his heavy head on his hand.

"No, Pops. Everything is great! I am so glad to have all of you." Marco smiled, feeling his smile coming off as slightly strained. But he technically wasn't lying that much. He really was glad to have them back.

Whitebeard smiled, his eyes glinting in dim yellow light with pure adoration as he looked at small Marco, one of his first sons. The boy was always there with him, by his side. Helping him gather his family and win lot of battles on the sea. Whitebeard felt like it was just yesterday, when he found battered kid on the sidewalk in red light disctrict in Mocha-town. It was just after the Rock pirates were disbanded and even though his crewmates weren't the best friends in the world, he still respected them and was with them for quite a while. People do get attached easily, huh?

"Gurarara I am glad you like our family... But are you sure you like Teach too?"

Marco didn't let himself panic.

'...'

'...'

' _C'mon say something, even something ridiculus, just say something_. '

"Yea well,...he just ate bagels that Thatch baked for me and...somehow everytime I see him my blood boils."

_'I can't show such animosity towards him when I have no proof he will betray us yet'_

"..."

' _Yeah, like he will trust this fucking lie'_

Whitebeard looked into his blue eyes, desperately searching for the truth...but without success.

Maybe Marco was scarred on his soul just as the others were, but he also had a resolve, a strong desire to see this operation till the end... They couldn't afford to fail... This was their only chance.

As they say, escaping from death's doorstep changes a man, but only those with a strong will can truly come back to the side of living. Because if you are in corner sobbing your eyes out, pitying yourself and regretting everything... Are you truly living? Did you really escape or just stalled the inevitable death's scythe? It has its blade pressed to your neck, drawing small drops of blood,... you are just waiting for it to strike. You are but an empty husk of your former self... You are already dead.

"..."

"Is that so?" Whitebeard mused, drinking again and wallowing in its bittersweet taste.

' _He knows.'_

Marco almost stopped breathing.

' _He knows I am lying... That is obvious, but he knows what I am feeling... He knows me too well'_

"Well if that's all I will be go-" Marco tries for the last time to evade reaveling his true, internal feelings, that eat him, make him sick to his stomach.

"You've changed."

"Huh?"

Marco's looking at the Whitebeard, finally looking up to his eyes.

"Not in a bad way... I can see how much you love this ship and family we roamed the sea with... I can see how much you care in your eyes." Whitebeard chuckled.

"..."

His smile disappeared and something similar to worry could be heard in his loud yet comforting voice.

"But you must know...We also care about you." he ruffled Marco's hair "Tell me my son what is it that burdens your mind?"

Marco face shadowed. He slowly exhaled and looked him straight into his warm loving eyes... He looked at him with all the pain that accumulated in him in these last few years.

"I am...just scared"

"..."

".."

"Scared my son? This is the safest place on this planet, why should you be scared?" Whitebeard frowned and gave Marco.

"...I'm scared for... someone... I'm worried...I miss someone"

"Oh? I didn't know you had such a good friends aside from your crewmates... Or possibly is it a lady?" Whitebeard's grin turned feral, teasing and flicked Marco's forehead.

Marco reddened and started flailing around with his hands.

"No! No! It's more like... Um... Another family to me? Especially one Guy... He... Is pretty troublesome fellow, he is like walking catastrophe" Marco laughed while scratching the back of his neck. He looked off somewhere into the space, reminiscing about his beaming smile and rubbery hands snaking their way around his shoulders.

"Gurarara then they must be incredible people. I want to meet them sometime. Especially that guy, he sounds interesting, no?"

"I am sure you will." Marco smirked and hopped off Whitebeard's knee "Anyway thank you for asking but I will cope with it on my own, it's not like I won't see them again."

"Okay son, I am always glad to help one of my sons or daughters."

"...I know" Marco murmured, more to himself, the weight on his shoulders getting heavier.

* * *

The night on the fishman island would be a quite terrifying one, if it wasn't for the lamp dials. The darkness in the deep abyss of the sea was truly a nightmare material.

"I am so glad I have this." Marco mumbled, alone in his room, rubbing the gem on his ring.

He took the gem off of the ring and turned all the lights off. He stood in the dark room, quiet, excited to see his memories again.

He lit a small cyan fire on his finger and put it under the crystal. The gem light up with a golden light.

Numerous images appeared on the walls all around the smiling Phoenix. They were photos featuring his most treasure memories with his loved ones.

"Oh Ace... That was when he became the second commander..."

"Thatch and me, the Marcy, gosh how much I hate and love this photo."

Then his eyes fell on the photo in the middle... photo of him and every member of survivors...Happy and yet so broken. Happy to be alive and at the same time beating themselves up for being weak.

Luffy...

His smile was really medicine for sadness.

It just soothed your soul when you looked at him.

All smiles and bouncing around like a small cheerful idiot he was.

' _Lets call giggles'_

* * *

_***puru puru puru puru** _

_***gacha** _

"Howdy, Marco~"

"Hey... What are you? Cowboy now?" Marco snickered.

"No, I am a pirate silly. Anyway, what's up?"

Marco smiles humms.

"Mm mm, I just wanted to tell you that Hancock and her sisters are safe."

"Really?! How are they?! Were they hurt much? I hope not, I like them. They helped me so much in the war and gave me ton of delicious food. And-and Hancock died for me... Did you talk to Hancock about me? Did you reveal yourself? And-"

"Whoa, whoa stop. I'll tell you just that yes, mission acomplished, they are safe and you don't need to worry."

"... Okay Marco... Thank you."

"Of course Giggles, that's expected of your right hand-man, no?"

"That's right! I have the best right hand man in the world! Ah! But what is Zoro then?... Hmm he is the best first mate!"

"Haha okay, ... Btw did you-..."

* * *

"Ha? That kid... He is talking with someone again?" Ace whispered to himself as he watched Luffy from the shadows of the jungle.

' _I'll try to get closer. Last time I was too far to hear anything aside from his dumb laugh._ '

Agile as monkey, he made his way across the branches to the kid, sprawled out in the lush grass. He hopped quietly down and hid behind the wide tree.

"... Again? How were they?"

"Ah... Not yet. I... Y'know I have to train first and... Gramps didn't show up yet, it would be weird-"

"You are just afraid aren't you?"

"..."

"Giggles?"

"Yea, you're right but wouldn't you be too if-"

"Don't say it... I know... Do what you think is the best, sorry... It's just I want to-"

"Thanks, I get it. Don't worry."

"But follow the plan ya hear me?"

"Aye Aye and hey you don't order me around stupid head!"

' _What are they talking about?... Stupid head? Can't think of a better insult?'_

"Haha sorry boss~, just tell me, do you think they are near you?"

' _Boss?! This kid? That has to be some kind of nickname. Hah, that one on the other side is pretty dumb too.'_

"It's quite possible, they have a secret stash of money in tree branch near here. They are still trying to save up for when they sail of to be pirates."

'W _hat?'_

Ace stopped snickering. His lips formed into a deep nasty scowl.

"Ah talking about money, you need those right? To pay for the-"

"Yeah, yeah you told me the plan like milion times. I know what I need to do."

"Great. Don't screwed this up"

"Shaddup you dummy!"

"You shut up! It's important. You are a kid, they will underestimate you and put their guard down. Don't hesitate and take the money."

"Aghhh, so is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"No.. Maybe I just called you because I wanted to hear your voice?"

"...You don't need to be worried I am strong!"

"Yes, you are"

'I know' Marco thought to himself. He felt like everytime he says it, the burden he pulls behind him is getting harder and harder to drag with him.

Ace didn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation as he made his way to the Sabo as fast as he could.

'I knew this kid was a bad news!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! This is the longest chapter yet! I had a writing mode switched on XD, so what do you think? The first tragedy is about to happen, how will our Luffy get through this?


	11. The darkness in us never sleeps

_'I'm cold...'_

His eyelids were little by little falling shut, his heartbeat slowing down steadily as he started to succumb to the _sweet_ yet _dreadful_ sleep.

The usual gleam in his eyes was dimmed, almost nonexistent. As if already dead. The sparks of dreams, the will to live, his passion, and hatred... All of it was quieted by his tiredness.

The unending hopelessness befell him yet again.

_'Maybe it'll be better this way...'_

His eyes... Just couldn't...

No.

They... **didn't want** to fight anymore.

They were just so heavy.

_'Maybe it's time to let it be and end it myself. I can't wait for the fate anymore.'_

He was so...exhausted from all that uneventful waiting and constant failing...

_'Maybe this **is** my fate'_

...tired from this never-ending nightmare.

He smiled bitterly, showing his missing teeth.

_'It's like I can feel that damned icy shit beneath me again'_

He hated it.

He hated it so much.

The snow.

It always brought up his worst memories.

It was a reminder that...

...even something so innocent and pure could be tainted.

So... So easily.

Same like child's innocence, happy family life, newborn baby...

Like a dove.

Exactly like that one little inexperienced dove that dreamed of seeing the vivid colorful world it heard so much of.

It was enticing to just fly away from nest, but it stayed, worried for its family.

It cared, it dreamed, it loved.

The youngling thought it would stay that way, happy, full of smiles and rainbows, but everything good has an end.

The dove was naive.

It saw its perfect world crumble and the dove turned sides. Black feathers sprouted from its body.

At first it felt weird, like in stranger's skin, but after a while, it felt more than natural.

The dove was no more.

The snow.

Everytime he saw its hateful whiteness, he had to dyed it in red.

It didn't matter who's blood it was, he just wanted it disappear.

He hated winter.

He hated snow.

He hated cold...

That same feeling of coldness that was now slowly engulfing him.

...

_"It's cold nii-chan...another of my toes are falling off." a petite girl wept, hot briny tears wetting her chilly rosy cheeks "...they became so fragile that even slight touc- ***hic**..."_

_"Shhh...Shhh Gem-Gem, we'll be home soon - we still have some cocoa left there, remember?" her brother whispered sweetly into her bushy black hair as he craddled her rigid body in his arms "I'll make you the most delicious hot chocolate you ever had in your **whooole** life...as soon as we get back,...what do you say?" he smiled sadly and pinched her cute button nose._

_A last sniff escaped her. She giggled, wiping her tears away, and then broke into a smile so bright, it rivaled the shine of sun itself "Un! It doesn't hurt anymore! It became so numb that I don't even feel it."_

_The boy frowned at that, guilt gnawing at him from within, but he managed to mantain his cool and continued to smile for his sister..._

_Sister that was currently hurting..._

_She was all he had left..._

_He threw a hateful glare towards the men on the other side of the cell._

_"Woohoo, I'm so excited! Let's see who goes today in the ice tub bwahahahaha!" the gigantic man with a blond ponytail, wearing a white coat cackled maniacally as he threw the dices._

_Six._

_Six..._

_...Six!_

_"Queen-san...Don't you think this is kind of-?"_

_"Shut your trap, Vega-twat, don't spoil my only fun!" Queen bellowed at his scrawny colleugue and kicked up his feet on the table "Anyway, does it matter how we do this? They'll suffer either way. This is an order from the gorosei we're talking about. It's not like we can do anything about it." he shrugged off while countIng spots on the dices he threw._

_"He's right Vegapunk. Either they'll suffer and we learn something, or we suffer and die in vain. It's simple as that"Judge agreed with his usual unemotinal voice while looking at the trembling prisoners behind the bars. He sighed and grabbed his notebook, writing down some points he missed last time._

_"See? He clearly gets is! I just want to do this more exciting, I don't really like all that waiting you know." Queen huffed and rolled his eyes "Oooh? Number 18! What a nice numeber this is, three sixes!" Queen cheered while a devious grin spread across his face. Everyone knew what that meant._

_It was an experimentation time._

_A little girl started shaking uncontrollably. And It was from fear,... not from the cold._

_Everyone, aside from her brother, got far away from her, scrambling up to their feet, running to hide and shiver in the corner, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the poor child._

_"Let's see let's see..."Queen looked at the documents "Number 18 is... Marshall Gem!"_

_The said girl slapped her palm over the burned mark on her forearm in a desperate try to conceal it. The mark was a code number._

_**Number 18.** _

_Queen smiled feraly as he neared the cell._

_"Oh would you look at that. She's shivering, poor brat."he cooed as he was opening the door to the cell, and stepped in. With each step, followed a massive thud. He looked like a giant from those dark fairy tales that parents would tell their kids to behave, on a way to village to eat the year's sacriface, usually a little girl._

_The boy pressed her even closer to his chest, letting her hear his rapid heartbeat,...while holding her hand and drawing circles on her back with his other._

_He held her tightly, not wanting to part with her._

_She was his treasure._

_His only gem that was left in empty old treasure chest._

_The gem that shone so brighly on the sun._

_"Aww, what a sweet loving sibling you have there dear."he gushed...and then, **yanked** the little girl by her right arm from her brother's embrace "Tch, so annoying, this kind of thing disgusts me the most!"_

_"No!" The boy yelled out, clutching tightly his sisters other arm._

_The Queen crouched down._

_"Let go."_

_"No, you bastard!" The kid spit at him._

_"You little shit!" The man shouted and in his rage pulled strongly._

_***CRACK... CRAAACK** _

_"!"_

_"AAAGH-UGH!... ***huff**... ***huff**.." Gem screamed in agony as she felt the bone in her right arm crack and twist in weird painful way._

_The room fell silent. Dread slowly filling the minds of prisoners._

_"Waaaaah!" The girl cried out again as Queen started dragging her away by her cooked, bloodied arm. The bone was slightly sticking out and the skin around the wound gained purpllish colour._

_The boy shook of his shock._

_"Gem! Give her back!"_

_"Tch, these unecessary problems." Queen hissed "Oi! Prepare the water tank and please someone... " he glared at the terrified kid "Give him a little lesson on how things work here."_

_"Gem!"_

_"Nii... - chan..."_

...

"No."

"This isn't my fate."

"Can't fall asleep... Not yet." Teach bit out and felt his way around the wooden floor for the whisky bottle he brought with him the other night " ***gulp** not until this world goes up in flames and this nightmare... turns into my dream."

After drinking it dry, not even relishing its burning addicting taste, he threw it against the wall, shattering it. He put his face in his sweaty cold hands. Horrifying image still replaying in his mind. The misery was palpable.

He looked at the floor with glass shards through the gap in his fingers.

Why couldn't just have it been it?!

He even openly attacked the red-hair bastard!

And after he finally got his hands on the chest...

It was some random paramecia fruit! Not the one he has been looking for over the decade already.

He was too reckless, he got his hopes up and became impatient...

' _Fuck!'_ he punched the wall next to him.

_'Well at least I got to slash his ugly mug.'_

He laughed to himself.

' _The fate will decide, it doesn't matter, the worry is unecessary...'_ he smiled and stood up.

"Zehahahaha..."

_'My dream... is still there'_

_'Na? Gem, Shelly, Tevan?"_

* * *

**Karakuri island, Grand Line**

"I hope the government has a really good reason to annoy me on my holiday, **vice-admiral Fujitora-san**." a man in white coat and rubber yellow glowes growled at the calm marine in his doorway.

"Believe it or not my friend, today I am here as myself. Your average old drinking buddy." Fujitora smiled softly and strided right to the table his friend was sitting at.

"Well... That's new... But how could I ever refuse nice company once in a while?" The scientist smiled and stood up, already preparing to brew a tea "Care for a game of cards, Issho?"

"Always." Fujitora huffed, amused by his friends antics.

He took a s roll from his bag. His smile now gone.

"Listen... I need a favour..."

"Oh...so you didn't really came for a visit, huh? Is that how it is?" The man turned around, trying not to sound disappointed.

"I did, but this is something important. Something that could change the horrible future that awaits us." Issho revealed, taking the offered cup with cherry tea from his friend who sat across from him.

The scientist hummed. This wasn't anything new. His friend was always a worrywarr, but this time he felt... That something was different.

"So what's that for?" he inquired.

"This my friend..." The vice-admiral smirked mysteriously "... are the blueprints for Pacifista aka cyborgh Kuma."

The man across him dropped his cup to the ground, splashing some of the hot tea on himself in the process. He hissed in pain and started wiping his pants with a towel.

"What the heck, Issho?! I haven't even started yet! I-I know I postponed it quite a bit - but that was because I don't want the government to become even more stronger a-and Kuma is my friend! I don't want to-!"

"Calm down, no one touched him. He is still one hundred percent human..."

"Then... How?"

"Vegapunk, my dear clever friend. This version..." Issho laughed and opened the scroll, pointing at the design "...this thing is one of **many** things we and my boss have in store. **This is what brings government to their knees.** "

* * *

**Dawn island, East Blue**

A small shadow sprinted across the roofs of Goa kingdom. Quietly, elegantly... Unnoticed by the guards stationed on the towers.

Tonight the Thieving Wraith was going to strike yet again!

"Shi Shi Shi, it would be nice to steal the food once in a while instead of money, but I can't afford to take any detours..." a boy in coat smiled mischievously and climbed down to the balcony in the fifth floor of a rather fancy mansion.

"Hmm, who is it today..." he mused, glancing down into his notebook "The house of Kokoro... Ah! Like that old lady in Water Seve- ugh, mermaids." he scowled in disgust and tried to imagine a nice big fat steaming steak instead... Whoops, he drolled on himself a little.

He started tinkering with the lock. At least something Nami was able to teach him...

Nami... He was doing this for her...

He wasn't strong enough yet to take down Arlong who was going to take over the Conomi island in less than two months.. Neither could he do it discreetly... He would have to risk too much...

...

" _But Marco! She was suffering under that sharp-toothed bastard for years! I can't let that happen again!"_

_"Strawhat-ya! This isn't a game, this is the only try we get!"_

_"Exactly! That's why I am going to get strong as soon as possible and break that bastard's nose!"_

_"Listen Luffy... We can't let you do this... Of course... I love Nami, she was, still is and she is to become one of my best friends... She's a nakama, but... you would ruin everything! Not only our existence would probably be revealed somehow to the world, Nami wouldn't be the same person when you met her and... That's right! You don't even know if she would want to become your navigator! You wouldn't even meet her! But most importantly-! "_

_" I DON'T CARE IF SHE WON'T BECOME MY NAVIGATOR...!"Luffy screamed out, tearing up again._

_"Giggles..."_

_"Luffy..."_

_Luffy rubbed his eyes dry._

_"As long as she's happy... I don't care... I don't want my friends to suffer anymore... I just-" Luffy sniffled and broke down, dropped on his knees and started hyperventilating._

_Everyone was shocked._

_It was always Luffy that comforted them. Who kept his cool and tears in for the whole time._

_His smile always brought such a giddy stupid happiness to others._

_They didn't liked him being sad._

_And so... broken... desperate_

_They relied on him too much..._

_He didn't have someone to lean on to, to listen to his worries..._

_He tried to be strong for everyone._

_"Luffy-ya, you are such an idiot... Lovable, but an idiot..."_

_"Luffy... Why didn't you say something?" Koala ruffled his hair gently._

_"Yeah, I hope you didn't forget we are also there for you..." Perona hicked and turned around to hide her tears._

_"Shh... Shh... Calm down... I know how are you feeling... We all do... We would also want to ease our beloved's pain, but... If it means that we fix the future... Isn't that worth more?" Marco whispered as he hugged the crying boy with scruffy straw hat, crumpled underneath the Phoenix's chin._

_"The consequences aren't worh it. I am not saying to ignore your nakama's situation... Just go about it smarter..." Marco chuckled and flicked Luffy's nose._

_"Un. *sniff..."_

_Everyone on the room smiled warmly looking at their boss who started smiling again._

_"Let's plan it out!"_

_"Aye!"_

***CLICK**

"Aha! Bingo!" Luffy cheered and opened the glass door carefully.

He stepped into a room full of luxorious furniture... Hmm?

There was a bed...

" ***yawn**... Mother?"

_'Aw shit.'_


	12. It's fly or die, mister

"Let's corner that hoodlum on the roof! After him, men!" The head of guards roared his orders while chasing down the thief - taking two steps at a time. All the turns on the spiral staircase made him sick. His vision was blurry and spinning, but he refused to give up. He was just a hair away from getting hold of that fiend's cloak for about ten minutes now, but he had yet to touch it. Just how fast was this little fucker? Did he have wings on his feet or what? "Oh, crap!" he cursed as he slipped on the wet stone, luckily grabbing the narrow walls in the last second, stabilizing himself."I swear I had just looked death in the eyes."

A mocking shishishis~ echoed through the tower, sounding quite far away already but still as annoying. "I won't let you ridicule me like that you little shit! Get back here!" he shouted, his lungs burning, and started running up again.

**_*SLAM_ **

Both the criminal and his pursuer busted out the door to the roof patio, breathing hard, letting the warm sweat dampen their eyebrows and run down their reddened cheeks. "Woohoo, that was good! Shishishi~,... It reminds me the good old times!" the intruder snickered and turned around to face the exhausted black-haired man in striped suit, who was wheezing and just barely standing without wobbling too much."Yo! What's your name? I didn't catch it earlier! Nobody gave me such a good run for my money since Smokey hahaha..."

_'Old times? Smokey?...What the heck is he talking about? Crazy bastard.'_ the man thought as he looked the shadowy figure up and down - the kid wasn't breathing heavily anymore, like he still did, and stood his ground confidently. His small lean body trembled, yet the captain couldn't find one trace that would indicate nervousness or fear in his stance. On the contrary - he seemed weirdly excited.

The stranger cracked his fingers and neck, seemingly bored of not getting the answer even after a minute of awkward silence.

"Oi, I'm talking to you old man! Are you deaf or something?"

The man shook off his curious thoughts and puffed out his chest.

"Why should I tell you, scoundrel?!" he shouted and gestured to his men to surround him. The boy started to slowly back away until he hit the wooden railing behind him, still obviously unconcerned - which was ironically higly _concerning_ from the guard's view. "Give yourself up, Wraith! You have nowhere to go!"

"Binkuso no sake wo, todoke ni...hmm hmm~"

Wraith hopped up at the balustrade and started balancing on it, humming a cheerful pirate song, ever so carefree. "Why should I listen to you?" he scoffed in disadain. Just a mere thought of letting anything to control his life again aside from himself made him want to go berserk. "And anyway, you bastards think you got me trapped, but there's still a way for me to escape y'know, dumbasses." he huffed as if not believing their enormous stupidity and swayed on his heels playfully.

"A way to escape?" one soldier in the front jeered "How? You grow wings and fly off from here to neverland or what?"

"Hmmmm,...I just might actually. Good idea, Jerk A." Luffy said casually, gave him thumbs up and smirked.

"Wha-! JERK A?! " the soldier spluttered, taken aback by the thief's devil-may-care attitude.

"MY NAME IS JEREMY DAMMIT! Why does no one ever remember that! You insolent-!"

"Stay down, Jessie!" the captain motioned with his hand for the guy and the rest of the squad to stop. "I got this." he said firmly as he adjusted the black leather gloves on his cold hands and started walking towards the laid-back criminal.

"It's Jeremy..." The pitiful man sobbed out quietly and others around him patted his back to comfort him.

"I have never believed in ghosts and magical shit like that... It's all just a crazy talk and legends, never any proofs. How are you any different? I see no bloodthirsty creature called 'Thieving Wraith of Goa' here of which the whole city is whispereing about for the last month. Just a little brat, too fast on his midget legs for adults to catch and too fucking cheeky with his sharp tongue."

"Legends aren't born overnight zebra-ossan, but yeah, I ain't some spirit of your dead mother who came back to spook you and nag you about your awful fashion sense, sorry. I mean look at that jacket." Luffy mocked him while apologizing without ounce of honesty in his words with finger up his nose. "I don't know much about fashion myself though."

In the last five years, Luffy became more sceptical, paranoid, and surprisingly pretty sarcastic to boot. Sometimes even Law didn't have a good comeback to Luffy's snarky comments, and that says something because not everyone can beat the well-known edge lord Trafalgar Law on his playground. Not that Law would ever admit it, he would always just shrugged it off and say that he is too tired of the strawhat's antics.

_'Tch, sore loser, that Traffy.'_ he though and cracked a smile delicate smile.

The words just flew to Luffy's mind naturally. And as everyone knows, Luffy tends to say what is on his mind.

"Pffff-" the guards suppressed their laugh, not wanting to wake up the next day with any of their limbs missing.

"Quiet!" The captain shouted, beat-red from the comment and all the men shut up instantly, then he turned back to the smirking criminal. "The smartest thing now would be to surrender yourself and give back what you stole." The captain scoffed and pointed at the bag with gold. "Hand it over and maybe my masters will spare you."

"Give up?! Spare me?! Cheh, what a joke! And here I thought I was supposed to be the funny one here." the boy sneered, sat down on the balustrade, pulling his right knee near to his face while letting the other leg sway freely. "Don't be so stingy Zebra-ossan, I hate people who order me around y'know..." he muttered under his breath, sweetly smiling, tilting his head and fixing his piercing gaze onto the man that piqued his interest."... or those who make me wait for more than they really have to." he hissed, scowling, his eyes narrowing and stabbing into the poor man like the freshly sharpened knives.

The man watched as the criminal's black cloak fluttered gracefully in the cold wind - it was going to be winter soon, the season of celebration of birth and demise. Aside from nobles, everyone hated this time of the year - no food, no warmth, death following you on every step... People have to fight for their lives. Every fucking year it's the same thing. The desperate ones steal and kill, the weak give up and die by their own hand and the unlucky ones end up being murdered or abducted and never heard of again...

' _And yet this guy... This despicable thief... Doesn't have the aura of a pathetic desperate loser around him.'_

What a strange person this burglar was, not your everyday clumsy amateur or some cocky weakling. Well, cocky he was, but definitely not an amateur or an weakling - that's for sure, at least after what he saw.

Although his face was concealed by his hood, two red orbs glowed dangerously from beneath its shadow. Hungry, intimidating... And now they were focused solely on him and him alone. They glinted with intense curiosity - as if analysing their next cowering prey.

"So?" Luffy inquired again, giving the man one last chance and straightened his back. "Are you going to answer me or-"

"What the fuck are you playin' at, brat, eh?"

Luffy's eyes swiftly flickered towards some random guard five meters away from him. He was pretty close. He had relaxed shoulders, a gun pointed at him and arrogant leer playing on his lips.

_'Jerk B spotted.'_ Luffy thought and smirked sinisterly.' _I wonder what face that idiotic brat would make if he knew who he was pointing that weak-ass handgun at.''_

"Are you sure about that?" The thief stated with calm unwavering voice, never losing his composure while pointing at the weapon that guy was aiming at him.

"About what? A bullet blasting your brain that was fired from my darlin'? Yeah."

"I ask you again. Are - you - sure - about - that?" Luffy repented slowly and even more menacingly.

"Haaa? Is this about you being a little kid? What makes you think I won't shoot a child? Wehehe guys, Let's have some fun with him after we captured him!" he laughed, licking his lips as if already tasting the boy's skin on his tongue. A few other men around him roared with agreement and eagerly readied their weapons, while their captain scoffed at the perverted guy, disgusted and disapproving.

"I was asking you sicko, if you know what you are doing right now. Pointing _that_ at me." Luffy addressed the problem in question, a large grin splitting his face. "Are you prepared to die for willing to kill?"

The guy just laughed at Luffy's obvious threat and ignored the warning gleam in the Wraith's glare.

"Yea, yea...ya hear his voice, boys? I bet it sounds even better when I will be plunging my d-!"

"Then don't mind me." Strawhat's face turned devious - twisted smirk, bloody red eyes glowing even more brightly as he pulled out his shining golden chakram and threw it, targeting the pervert's arm, the one he was holding his gun in.

**_*SWIIIIISH_ **

**_*SLICE_ **

"AAAAAGHHHHH!"

"Jackie!" his friends called out to him as he was shrieking in pain.

"John! James! Where is the first aid kit?!" they screamed, panicking around him.

" **I have it!** Tsk, _Get out of way your fat ass Jennifer._ **Oiii I have it!** "

' _What a crybabies. Shank's didn't even blink when his arm was torn off... Wait...'_ Luffy blinked in confusion _. 'Are all of their names start with a J? The fuck? I don't even blame the guy for not remembering.'_

The chakram sliced the guy's hand clean off and returned to its owner as a boomerang would, who caught it back with ease and started twirling with it around his haki-covered finger.

"The name ossan." He asked again authoritatively as if he just a second ago didn't nonchalantly slice the arm of his subordinate off. The pervert was clutching his bleeding shoulder, writhing in agony on the stranger paid him no mind, still waiting for the captain to speak up.

' _Come back clumsy amateurs and cocky weaklings, I don't want to deal with some batshit crazy brat!'_ the captain stumbled back in surprise.

The old man gulped. No, he wasn't scared and most certainly his hands and knees weren't shaking from the thief's piercing gaze right now. It was the cold, okay?... But what was this strange pressure? It felt like someone was sitting on his shoulders, telling him to kneel down and pray for his life. Pray, follow and worship the king. The one that stands above all.

"You sure aren't some sissy, huh brat?" he huffed out with a bitter laugh, trying no to clatter his teeth.

He dared to look up, into the Wraith's eyes. The thief was slowly walking towards him with his hands clasped behind his back as his subordinates were falling down one after one to the ground, uncouncious and with a foam around their mouths. This kid was doing this?

' _What a terryfing child... If this **is** a child and not an outright nightmare... __I guess I have no choice.'_

"It-it's Renetto. Dalzell Renetto..." he stuttered out, slowly sinking down. He was the only one left at least somewhat standing. Others were on their knees cowering, staring into the stone ground, not daring to look up at the menacing intruder or down right curled up into the balls, muttering prayers and whispering goodbyes to their loved ones or straight up uncouncious. The pressure eased up a bit, but not disappearing entirely. Renetto was staring into the Wraith's eyes the whole time, not able to tear his gaze away from his. Something in the stranger's eyes softened and he laughed again. He came close enough to reach out and pull Renetto back to his feet.

"Yaaaaah...Shi Shi Shi Shi. I see I see... Netto-ossan then. You are a good guy." he smiled and looked around, frowning "The only one here." The thief declared, his stare again hardening, directed at the other soldiers, who were laying knocked out on the floor. "Nobody came to help her when she screamed. Only you, so thank you for taking care of her...and please... continue to look out for her, she needs it more than anyone here." he beamed at Renetto, taking off his hood for a moment and flashing him big toothy genuine smile.

' _He looks so kind and so innocent, almost angelic...'_ Renetto stared at the grinning child.

"Wh- I-... She-" shocked Netto tried to say something coherent, but failed, only managing to nod in the end.

"Shi Shi Shi, I wonder... Why do you care about her while they don't?" he mused, pointing with his thumb at the unmoving bodies of the elite guards. "Is there some reason for it?"

Renetto stayed quiet for a while, silencing distracting thoughts and questions swirling in his head. "I have a daughter..." he started carefully "She's still but a small girl, but so much more brave and stronger than I am." Luffy stayed quiet as Renetto sniffled and waited for him to continue "My princess... I love her deeply you know, but... but I can't afford to give her the life she truly deserves..." he whispered, running his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. "That's why I work here...to get some money and take her back from the prison where she was put for stealing a bread..." his eyes watered, feeling the guilt taking over again "just because I, her father wasn't able to feed her... She..." his voice broke and wasn't able to continue anymore as he cried and gasped for air.

"It's not your fault Netto-ossan, the world is just that screwed up. That's why I am here..."

_'That's why I came back...'_ he added in his mind.

"I'm going to change it, Netto ossan...I swear I will." Luffy growled, tightening his grip on the sack with gold.

"You..." Renetto's eyes widened as he looked at the boy with a devil and an angel inside of him with disbelief and sheer amazement

"What is her name?" Luffy asked after a minute of utter heavy silence.

The man smiled sadly.

"Alvi-chan. My one and only daughter. Sweetest thing in the world." he choked out between the sobs, still trying to smile as he closed his eyes, remembering her light soft laugh, melodic, joyful and innocent. It was a music to a depressed over-worked old man's ears. "In the end, it turned out that,... that bread was for me... She stole it to feed me..."

He broke down, crying out loud, bitter tears wetting his uniforom that he hated so much. Why does he have to work for these cruel people? Why does he have to witness the girl's everyday suffering? Why does she have to suffer? Is his daughter suffering too, just as she is?

"I will remember that name." he said to the sniffling man and hopped up on the railing. "Ototo haha, that was close." he giggled and balanced on it with his arms spread.

"I'm also trying to get money to help out someone in need. Either I steal enough money in a few week's time or her mother will be pushing up daisies by then." he hissed in annoyance "I can't save her from all of her suffering, because I'm still to weak for that, but I can lessen her burden. I promised myself to do so." he said, emitting determination with each word. "If I don't do this, she will break..." he whispered.

He was serious. He meant his every word. Renetto onrw this and yet...

' _This world... sucks... So unfair.'_

_'Thsi child also...'_

_'What am I supposed to do?'_

Renetto kept his head down, unable to decide what to do. Does he capture the Wraith or risk his position and everything he has worked for to ensure his daughter's well-being?

Luffy was patiently waiting for Renetto's verdict.

A flash of red splattered across the floor and high voice cut through his mind.

He can't lose her too...

"I see..." The man croaked out and stood up, pointing a gun to the stranger's head. "So you are in the same situation... I'm so sorry, but my daughter..." he sobbed, still trying to aiming with his trembling hand.

"Good. Not everyone has such a determination to protect their beloved ones. Most of other people would ran and let me go immediately after what I made their subordinates crawl on the ground." he smiled and nodded approvingly. "As I though, Netto-ossan is really nice guy."

"No... I am not. Don't you understand? I am being selfish here! If I wasn't such an useless dad...If I..." he shook his head "I can't let you go. Please... Give up... I don't want to shoot you..."

The kid sighed and gave him a small sad smile. His gaze was still fiery, the desire for freedom blazing ever so powerfully, evident just like the sympathy directed on the man, but not a speck of pity.

"I must go, but I can promise you... " he scoweled and prepared himself to jump. " That I **WILL** remember you and your daughter... I won't forget... I will kick the world's ass and shape it to my liking. I'll shape it into a place where people don't need to fear living another day, place where everyone is able to chase their dreams... " he said and jumped into the air.

"Wait! You'll die from this height! " Netto screamed in fear, throwing the gun away, already stretching his hand to catch the falling boy, but missing.

' _I was too slow...'_

He fell to his knees, crushed. He should've just let him go. He killed him... Another child had to suffer because he wasn't decisive enough... No... Because he was such a coward!

**_*SWISH_ **

A sharp gust of wind hit him into his wet, grief-stricken face. The trails from tears stinged on the cold air.

A shadowed shape elegantly swirled up and flapped its white snowy wings. A soft white feather fell on his face, tickling his nose and making him sneeze.

"A-...A-...Atchoo!"

"Shishishi what's up, you're looking like someone just died!"

Stunned beyond belief he admired the mysterious being in the sky.

_'the kid...'_

Luffy flapped his snow-white wings cheerfuly, adjusted his dazzling golden halo and smiled, half-closing his shimmering iridescent eyes, that were deep as the universe itself - full of mysteries and boundless...infinete... A strange mystical glow engulfed his petite body, as if protecting him. He looked terrifyingly beautiful. Cold yet warm. Far, yet near. Renetto didn't know what he was looking at. Was it even real?

To feel free... is the best thing in the world, and flying can make you feel so even more. The chilly air hitting your face as you break through the clouds. The thrilling feeling of free fall. The scenery of blue surface of the sea full of life beneath you...If Luffy could, he would fly from dusk to dawn and back, even try to reach the distant shining stars hanged in the far dark sky ...Luffy just simply loved everything about flying. It gave the word exploring a new meaning.

"What... are you...?"

He giggled mischievously, closing his eyes while his wings turned inky black as if someone painted them bit by bit with a brush soaked in watercolor. A blinding light surrounded his body and in a Flash was gone.

His whole image changed. Instead of unruly black curls and halo, he could now boast with a silvery white hair and two small yet pointy black horns growing out of his head. And as he opened his eyes... they too were different, instead of deep universe, there you could see the depths of hell. Bloody red. Intimidating, sinister and ignited with passion.

"... The angel... The devil...The hero... The villian... Or nothing like that at all... You decide that for yourself..." he chuckled at the Renetto's funny face and circled above him "I guess my next target is a prison then! Shishishi~ See ya later old man!" The thief said his goodbyes and flew into the morning mist that fallen on the city.

"... I wonder, if that means I'm going to see my daughter soon..." the man smiled, hope filling him again as he turned to his uncouncious subordinates, trying to shake them awake. Little did he and Luffy know, that they weren't the only ones awake during their small conversation...

The storm was coming.

...

The waves rolled lazily towards the Goa's shore. Tonight the sea was serene, hushed, as if trying to prick its ears to hear the mysterious calls of the sirens.

Porchemy sighed, gulping down an old rum. He was starved, all bruised up and sore from the last work that boss threw at him. If could, he would ran away, but he had his hands bound.

_'If it wasn't for him I swear I would be long...!'_ he silently raged in his mind, clenching his fist and hitting the railing. He was near the shore already, so he picked up the anchor with loud huff. _'Why do I even care...-!'_

"So how did the raid on Airuwo island go, Porchemy? The captn' sure trusts you a lot, huh? Hehe..." a certain fellow cackled, prodding his comrade's side with his elbow. "So how big is the loot this time? Tell me Porch! Na? Na?"

"Wah! How the fuck did you got here?! I ain't even at the port yet!"

"Oh, you know maaagiiiic~" the boy snickered and hit Porchemy playfully on the biceps. "So?! Tell meee!"

"Geez, Kenny! You scared the shit out of me and stop whining dammit!" Porchemy shouted, heavy anchor slipping from his fingers in the process and falling with a loud thud on his toes. "FUCK!"

"WAHAHAHAHA...!" The fellow pirate bursted out laughing and rolled around the deck like a madman he was. " ** _*wheeze_**...y-you are so funny Porch, never change man!" he gasped out, still gasping his stomach that hurt from the laughing.

"Argh, shut the fuck up and at least let me dock the Batako properly." Porchemy barked at his annoying friend and lowered the anchor. He sighed again, wiping the acrid sweat from his forehead and hopped across the railing down on the ground. "There were only three small poor villages on the island. The loot would be bigger if the marines didn't get in the way though... I don't think captain will be satisfied with the amount." The pirate grumbled and started walking towards their hideout, not even waiting for Kenny to follow.

"Oh. Well..., let's pray that Bluejam is in a good mood today then. I haven't seen him today yet, so I dunno." Kenny shrugged and caught up to Porchemy who was frowning so much that his friend was wondering if this expression will be stuck on his face from now on forever. Kenny was worried, Bluejam was really a cruel guy and he didn't take well these kinds of things. Just yesterday he shoot a guy for buying one more bottle of milk than he instucted him to, but oh well, he was just a lower rank and a newbie, he surely won't kill off Porchemy like that, but the punishment is going to painful, fuck.

' _Now that I think about it, I'm too a low rank, but at least I'm here longer than that poor man was'_

"Oi. Porch... Don't worry... Maybe it won't be that bad... Maybe the loot is bigger than you think and you just suck at math, cheer up!" he tried to comfort his friend and smiled.

"Yea right, that's rich coming from you, you dickhead." Porchemy mumbled with a slight smile on his little friend of his always knew how to made him feel better. Who would've known that sixteen years old boy could be wiser than a grown man scarred in multiple battles, seriously, kids these days are full of surprises. He was about to say something, but someone ran into him. "Oof!"

**_*BAM_ **

"Oh! Sorry! Gotta go!"

"What the?! What motherfucker just-!?" Porchemy yelled, pricking himself up from the dusty ground.

"Wow. That's him huh?" Kenny hummed and observed the small back of a hooded person sprinting across the Gray Terminal with a bag slinged over his shoulder.

"Who?" The other pirate wondered. "What did I miss when I was away?"

"Well, a new criminal emerged. The thieving wraith of Goa...a rogue that manages to escape everytime no matter the circumstances he finds himself in. He just always disappears with a snap of your fingers. It's as if he was never there... As if he had never existed..., only the missing property serves as a proof he actually was there - that's why people call him the Wraith." Kenny blabbered with a shining eyes, obviously impressed by the thief's work. "He became famous reeeaaal quick in the last month. Only things we know about him is that he has scary eyes and people faint from the fear when they looked at them."

"Yeah, right. Sounds pretty dumb to me, but whatever. Let's go, I don't want to be late to my _reward"_ Porchemy sneered and started walking again, but he stopped when Kenny tugged on his pants.

"What?..."

"Hey Porch I got an awesome idea!"

"No."

"Even if it meant not recieving the punishment?"

"Hmm.. Continue." Porchemy ordered, now interested in the little devil's idea. But Kenny stayed silent.

"So? I am waiting... What now? Is this another of your masterful plans that end up in me being nearly killed twice over or what?"

"Aww, don't be like that now... I was just thinking how to say do this... Hey, you saw the bag he had and heard the clinking right?"

"Yeah... And?"

"It's gold I tell you, must be."

"You're not suggesting that we...?"

"Hell yeah! That's exactly what I'm doing!Let's follow him and steal it for ourselves. Then the the boss will be satisfied and you not dead, great ain't it?"

"You are a genius Kenny! And as much as I am weirded out by the fact you actually said something smart for once..."

"Hey!"

"...I'm buying you cola next time." Porchemy snickered and ruffled Kenny's brown soft hair with a semblence of a fond smile playing on his lips.

"Hehe... Okay!"

"Let's go, so we don't lose him!" he shouted out, already running.

"Hey wait up!"

...

They chased him fo an entire hour now while avoiding the trash in the Gray Terminal and sticky vine traps and thorn bushes in the jungle. In the end, they lost him in the darkness of the night. Breathless they both slumped at the nearest tree, gasping for a fresh air.

"Well, that did *huff didn't go so well... That shortie is fast as fuck..." Kenny rasped out, frowning that he disappointed his friend. "Sorry, I should've known that..."

"Shh!" Porchemy hushed him quickly.

"What? I don't he-"

"Shhhhhh! Listen." Porchemy bit out and pointed into branches of a large tree. Two little silhouette sat there, almost blending into a shadow of the massive tree.

"... - ve, _Yeah right..._ "

"... _Better save than so-._.."

' _Voices?'_

Kenny and Porchemy stayed absolutely silent, not letting their guard up. There was someone up in the tree and there was a High possibility of being it the Wraith, so they just sat back and listened carefully, trying to pick out on the conversation between the two strangers.

"Uff... That was the last one. Do you even **comprehense** how lucky we are? If I hadn't have heard that call, who knows what would happen to our secret stash! I told ya that kid was dangerous and yet you didn't listen to me and my instincts!"

"Yea yea, you and your instincts... Hey, we moved it, it's alright now, he or anyone else will find it here so rest easy, buddy." Sabo patted his friend on the head as if he was comforting a child throwing a tantrum. "But I still think you must've misunderstood something."

"Don't patronize me asshole! He could' ve steal our treasure! Don't you get it!" Ace stood up and yelled at the blonde.

"Hey hey, calm down or your shrieking will bring people here."

"Hmph." Ace pouted and sat down again.

Sabo chuckled ať his face as he cleaned his goggles. Ace frowned. He wasn't making things up. There really was something off about that kid. They stalked him after the call for a whole week, but couldn't find a proof of anything suspicious.

"I know you are worried. Scared even." Sabo started, closing his eyes. Ace turned to him and scowled even more." I know you are... Feeling like this because our dream is being threatened... but, You are really... probably just being paranoid Ace. We already talked about this. This kid isn't dangerous. And if he tried anything..." he smirked and slashed with his thumb across his neck."... Then we beat him up and throw him to crocodiles."

"Haha...I guess you right, maybe after we feed them they will grow more fat and delicious." Ace cracked a smile and laughed.

"Agh, seriously, all you think about is food."

"Blame the shitty gramps."

"hahaha, that's true... Anyway, we should go to sleep. Let's call it a day." Sabo announced and dusted off his clothes. "Good night, Acey~"

"SHAT YAR TRAP SABO!"

"WAHAHAHA!" Sabo laughed as he disappeared into the night. Ace huffed at his pettiness and raced home himself.

...

Few minutes after they knew the air was clear.

"You heard them? Ace and Sabo...famous muggers and here is their secret stash! This is a jackpot!" Kenny gushed, already imagining swimming in the berries.

"Yeah, I bet it's even more than what would we get from catching that Wraith bastard."

"Ah. Absolutely."

"There must be tons of it!" Kenny jumped up and down excitedly.

"Damn right. Let's go, we need to be quick." Porchemy grinned and rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Ryoukai!"


End file.
